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Manufacturer

RKK Energia

Country of origin

Soviet Union, Russian Federation

Operator

Soviet space program (1967-91)
Roscosmos (1991 onwards)

Applications

Carry cosmonauts to orbit and back; originally intended for Soviet Moonshot and Salyut space station transportation.

Specifications

Design life

Up to six months docked to station

Regime

Low Earth orbit (circumlunar spaceflight during early program)

Production

Status

In service

Maiden launch

(Uncrewed) November 28, 1966 (Crewed) Soyuz 1 April 23, 1967

Related spacecraft

Derivatives

Shenzhou, Progress

Soyuz ( Russian: Союз, English: Union) is a series of spacecraft designed for the Soviet space programme. It was first used in the 1960s. The Soyuz spacecraft is launched on a Soyuz rocket, the most frequently used and most reliable launch vehicle in the world to date. All Soyuz spacecraft are launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The first Soyuz flight had no people aboard. It launched on November 28, 1966. The first Soyuz mission with a crew, Soyuz 1, launched on 23 April 1967 but crashed, killing cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov. Soyuz 3 (October 26, 1968) was the first successful manned mission. Now, the Soyuz is widely considered the world's safest, most cost-effective human spaceflight vehicle. Soyuz spacecraft were used to carry cosmonauts to and from Salyut and later Mir Soviet space stations, and are now used for transport to and from the International Space Station (ISS). At least one Soyuz spacecraft is docked at the ISS at all times for use as an escape craft in the event of an emergency.

Spacecraft systems

Thermal control system - Sistema Obespecheniya Teplovogo Rezhima, SOTR

Life support system - Kompleks Sredstv Obespecheniya Zhiznideyatelnosti, KSOZh

Power supply system - Sistema Elektropitaniya, SEP

Communication and tracking systems - Rassvet (Dawn) radio communications system, onboard measurement system (SBI), Kvant-V spacecraft control, Klyost-M television system, orbit radio tracking (RKO)

Onboard complex control system - Sistema Upravleniya Bortovym Kompleksom, SUBK

Combined propulsion system - Kompleksnaya Dvigatelnaya Ustanovka, KDU

Chaika-3 motion control system (SUD)

Optical/visual devices (OVP) - VSK-4 (Vizir Spetsialniy Kosmicheskiy-4), night vision device (VNUK-K, Visir Nochnogo Upravleniya po Kursu), docking light, pilot's sight (VP-1, Vizir Pilota-1), laser rangefinder (LPR-1, Lazerniy Dalnomer-1)

Kurs rendezvous system

Docking system - Sistema Stykovki i Vnutrennego Perekhoda, SSVP

Teleoperator control mode - Teleoperatorniy Rezhim Upravleniya, TORU

Entry actuators system - Sistema Ispolnitelnikh Organov Spuska, SIO-S

Landing aids kit - Kompleks Sredstv Prizemleniya, KSP

Portable survival kit - Nosimiy Avariyniy Zapas, NAZ, containing a TP-82 Cosmonaut survival pistol or Makarov pistol

Soyuz launch escape system - Sistema Avariynogo Spaseniya, SAS

The Soyuz spacecraft has three parts:

A round orbital module, which provides space for the crew;

A small reentry module, which gets the crew back to Earth;

A service module with solar panels, which contains instruments and engines.

Orbital module

The orbital module is also called the Habitation section. It has all the equipment not needed for reentry, such as experiments, cameras and cargo. It also contains a docking collar for docking to space stations. It does not come back to earth.

Reentry module

The reentry module is used for launch and the journey back to earth. Half of it is covered in heat protection tiles. It comes back to earth.

Service module

The service module has solar panels. It contains systems for temperature control, electric power supply, long-range radio communications and radio telemetry. It does not come back to earth.

Images for kids

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Manufacturer RKK Energia Country of origin Soviet Union, Russian Federation Operator Soviet space program (1967-91) Roscosmos (1991 onwards) Applications Carry cosmonauts to orbit and back; originally intended for Soviet Moonshot and Salyut space station transportation.

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The Russian Soyuz spacecraft carries people and supplies to and from the space station.

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From Academic Kids

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Soyuz ( Союз, union) is a series of spacecraft designed by Sergey Korolev for the Soviet Union's space program. The Soyuz succeeded the Voskhod spacecraft design and were originally built as part of the Luna program. The spacecraft are launched by the Soyuz launch vehicle, as part of the Soyuz program and the later missions of the Zond program.

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A space shuttle is somewhat similar to a rocket and an airplane. It takes off like a rocket vertically but lands like an airplane on a runway. NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) has been using space shuttles since 1981 for various space programs. This was when the first space shuttle test flight took place. More than 600 astronauts have flown to outer space on space shuttles. A Shuttle can take up to seven astronauts.
Facts you didn't know: -

Five space shuttles have been launched in space by NASA. Their names are: - Endeavour, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis.

Two of them, the Challenger and the Columbia have crashed.

The space shuttle was the first reusable spacecraft in the world.

They could easily carry satellites, space probes and other cargo to orbit around the earth.

The space shuttle system has four major components: - Two solid rocket boosters, the external tank, three main engines and the orbiter add-ons.

The external fuel tank is the only part that cannot be reused as it burns up in the atmosphere after launching.

In the 1970s, the prototype craft Enterprise had been launched but it was only used for tests. It never flies in space.

The combined mileage of all five orbiters is 513.7 million miles. This is 1.3 times the distance between Earth and Jupiter.

Thermal Protection System of the space shuttle contains approximately 30,000 sand tiles. These tiles are used to endure the intense heat.

Columbia was the heaviest space shuttle orbiter that weighed around 178,000 pounds.

A total of 14 astronauts lost their lives in two accidents in which Challenger and Columbia both were destroyed.

Timeline of space shuttle launching: -

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A space shuttle is somewhat similar to a rocket and an airplane. It takes off like a rocket vertically but lands like an airplane on a runway. NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) has been using space shuttles since 1981 for various space programs. This was when the first space shuttle test flight took place.

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The space shuttle launched like a rocket and landed like a glider. It carried people and cargo into space.

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under. Get Started

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

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Mir ( Russian: Мир lit. peace or world) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. Mir was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. It had a greater mass than any previous spacecraft. At the time it was the largest artificial satellite in orbit, succeeded by the International Space Station (ISS) after Mir's orbit decayed. The station served as a microgravity research laboratory in which crews conducted experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology and spacecraft systems with a goal of developing technologies required for permanent occupation of space.

Mir was the first continuously inhabited long-term research station in orbit and held the record for the longest continuous human presence in space at 3,644 days, until it was surpassed by the ISS on 23 October 2010. It holds the record for the longest single human spaceflight, with Valeri Polyakov spending 437 days and 18 hours on the station between 1994 and 1995. Mir was occupied for a total of twelve and a half years out of its fifteen-year lifespan, having the capacity to support a resident crew of three, or larger crews for short visits.

Following the success of the Salyut programme, Mir represented the next stage in the Soviet Union's space station programme. The first module of the station, known as the core module or base block, was launched in 1986 and followed by six further modules. Proton rockets were used to launch all of its components except for the docking module, which was installed by a US Space Shuttle mission STS-74 in 1995. When complete, the station consisted of seven pressurised modules and several unpressurised components. Power was provided by several photovoltaic arrays attached directly to the modules. The station was maintained at an orbit between 296 km (184 mi) and 421 km (262 mi) altitude and travelled at an average speed of 27,700 km/h (17,200 mph), completing 15.7 orbits per day.

The station was launched as part of the Soviet Union's manned spaceflight programme effort to maintain a long-term research outpost in space, and following the collapse of the USSR, was operated by the new Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA). As a result, most of the station's occupants were Soviet; through international collaborations such as the Intercosmos, Euromir and Shuttle- Mir programmes, the station was made accessible to space travellers from several Asian, European and North American nations. Mir was deorbited in March 2001 after funding was cut off. The cost of the Mir programme was estimated by former RKA General Director Yuri Koptev in 2001 as $4.2 billion over its lifetime (including development, assembly and orbital operation).

Images for kids

The Travers radar antenna, Sofora girder, VDU thruster block, SPK unit and a Strela crane, alongside Kvant-2 and Priroda

A view of the interior of the core module's docking node, demonstrating the crowded nature of the station.

Shannon Lucid exercises on a treadmill during her stay aboard Mir.

Mir breaks up in Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific on 23 March 2001.

Picture of the damage caused by the collision with Progress M-34. Picture was taken by Space Shuttle Atlantis during STS 86

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Mir ( Russian: Мир lit. peace or world) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. Mir was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996.

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From Academic Kids

(Redirected from Mir space station)

Mir (Мир, which can mean both world and peace in Russian) was a highly successful Soviet (and later Russian) space station. It was humanity's first permanently inhabited long-term research station in space. Through a number of collaborations, it was made internationally accessible to cosmonauts and astronauts of many different countries. Mir was assembled in orbit by successively connecting several modules, each launched separately from February 19, 1986 to 1996. The station existed until March 23, 2001, at which point it was deliberately de-orbited.

History

Mir was based upon the Salyut series of space stations previously launched by the Soviet Union. It was mainly serviced by Russian-manned Soyuz spacecraft and Progress cargo ships. It was anticipated that it would also be the destination for flights by the later abandoned Buran space shuttle. The United States had planned to build Space Station Freedom as its counterpart to Mir. In later years, after the end of the cold war, the Shuttle-Mir program combined Russia's Mir capabilities with United States space shuttles. The orbiting Mir provided a large and livable scientific laboratory in outer space. The visiting space shuttles provided transport and supplies, as well as temporary enlargements of living and working areas, creating history's largest spacecraft, with a combined mass of 250 tons. The visiting US shuttles used a modified docking collar originally designed for the Soviet Buran shuttle.

Inside, the 100-ton Mir looked like a cramped labyrinth, crowded with hoses, cables and scientific instruments - as well as articles of everyday life, such as photos, children's drawings, books and a guitar. It commonly housed three crewmembers, but it sometimes supported for up to a month as many as six, including the first Afghan astronaut Abdul Ahad Mohmand. Except for two short periods, Mir was continuously occupied until August 1999.

The journey of the 15-year-old Russian space station ended March 23, 2001, as Mir re-entered the Earth's atmosphere near Nadi, Fiji, and fell into the South Pacific Ocean. Near the end of its life, there were plans for private interests to purchase Mir, possibly for use as the first orbital television/movie studio, but the station was deemed too unstable to be safely used any further. Many in the space community still felt that at least some of Mir was salvageable and that considering the extremely high costs of getting material into orbit, simply disposing of Mir was a seriously wasted opportunity.

In addition to Soviet/Russian cosmonauts, Mir hosted international scientists and U.S. astronauts.

Mir modules

The Mir space station was constructed by connecting several Mir modules, each placed into orbit separately. The Mir Core Module (launched in 1986) provided living quarters and station control. Kvant I ( 1987) and Kvant II ( 1989) contained scientific instruments and the crew's shower. Kristall ( 1990) extended Mir's scientific capabilities. Spektr ( 1995) served as the living and working space for American astronauts. Priroda ( 1996) conducted Earth remote sensing. The Docking Module (1996) provided a safe and stable port for the space shuttle.

Before, during and after the Shuttle-Mir Program, Mir was tended and resupplied by manned Soyuz capsules and unmanned Progress vehicles.

Names

In Russian, Mir (Мир) means "peace," and connotes "community." Kvant (Квант) means " quantum," a name derived from its purpose to provide research in astrophysics by measuring electromagnetic spectra and x-ray emissions. Kristall (Кристалл) means " crystal," and a main purpose of this module is to develop biological and materials production technologies in the space environment. Spektr (Спектр) means " spectrum," so named for its atmospheric sensors. Priroda (Природа) means "nature." Progress (Прогресс) means the same as it does in English. Soyuz (Союз) means "union," so named for the USSR (Sovietskii Soyuz, Советский Союз = Soviet Union) and because the spacecraft was a union of three smaller modules.

International cooperation

In June 1992, U.S. president George H. W. Bush and Russian president Boris Yeltsin agreed to join hands in space exploration: one U.S. astronaut would board Mir, two Russian cosmonauts would board a space shuttle. September 1993 U.S. Vice-president Al Gore and Russian prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin announced plans for a new space station, which would later be called the International Space Station, or ISS. They also agreed that, in preparation for this new project, the U.S. would be largely involved in the Mir project in the years ahead, under the code name Phase One (the ISS being Phase Two). Space shuttles would take part in the transportation of supplies and people to and from the Mir. U.S. astronauts would live in the Mir for many months on end. Thus the U.S. could share and learn from the unique experience that Russia has with long duration space trips.

Starting March 1995 seven U.S. astronauts consecutively spent 28 months on the Mir. During their stay the space station went through rough times and several acute emergencies occurred, notably a large fire on February 23 1997, and a collision with a Progress (unmanned) cargo ship on June 25 of the same year. In both occasions complete evacuation of the Mir (there was a Soyuz escape craft for return to earth) was avoided with a narrow margin. The second disaster left a hole in the Spektr module, which then was sealed off from the rest of the station. Several space walks were needed to restore full power to the Mir (ironically, one of the 'space walks' was inside the Spektr module from which all the air had escaped).

The cooperation between the U.S. and Russia proved far from easy. Distrust, lack of coordination, language problems, different views of each others' responsibilities and divergent interests caused many problems. After the disasters, the U.S. Congress and NASA considered whether the U.S. should abandon the program out of concern for astronauts' safety. NASA administrator Daniel S. Goldin decided to continue the program. In June 1998, the final U.S. Mir astronaut Andy Thomas left the station aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

The story of Phase One is described in great detail by Bryan Burrough in his book Dragonfly: NASA and the Crisis Aboard Mir (1998).

The Mir space station was originally planned to be followed by a Mir 2, and elements of that project, including the core module (now called Zvezda) which was labeled as "Mir-2" for quite some time in the factory, are now an integral part of the International Space Station.

Mir expeditions

See Table of Mir Expeditions.

Mir spacewalks

See Table of Mir Spacewalks.

Visiting spacecraft and crews

(Launched crews. Spacecraft launch and landing dates listed.)

See also

External links

Template:Commons2

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(Redirected from Mir space station) Mir (Мир, which can mean both world and peace in Russian) was a highly successful Soviet (and later Russian) space station. It was humanity's first permanently inhabited long-term research station in space. Through a number of collaborations, it was made internationally accessible to cosmonauts and astronauts of many different countries.

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A space station is a spacecraft in a fixed orbit around the Earth. Astronauts can live on a space station for days or months at a time while they gather scientific data and…

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The space station Mir became a legend in its own time reflecting Russia's past space glories and her future as a leader in space.

The Russian Space Station Mir endured 15 years in orbit, three times its planned lifetime. It outlasted the Soviet Union, that launched it into space. It hosted scores of crewmembers and international visitors. It raised the first crop of wheat to be grown from seed to seed in outer space. It was the scene of joyous reunions, feats of courage, moments of panic, and months of grim determination. It suffered dangerous fires, a nearly catastrophic collision, and darkened periods of out-of-control tumbling.

Mir soared as a symbol of Russia's past space glories and her potential future as a leader in space. And it served as the stage—history's highest stage—for the first large-scale, technical partnership between Russia and the United States after a half-century of mutual antagonism.

Mir did all of that and like most legends was controversial and paradoxical. At different times and by different people, Mir was called both "venerable" and "derelict." It was also "robust," "accident-prone," and "a marvel," as well as "a lemon."

For Russians, the very name "Mir" held meaning, feeling, and history. Mir translates into English as "world," "peace," and "village," but a single-word translation misses its full significance. Historically, after the Edict of Emancipation in 1861, the word "mir" referred to a Russian peasant community that owned its own land. A system of state-owned collective farms replaced the mir after the Russian revolution of 1917.
Read an essay by Frank Culbertson, Shuttle-Mir Program Manager, on the meanings of "Mir: What's in a Name?"
As with most legends, Mir was literally beyond the reach of most men and women, but it could be seen by many as a bright light arcing across the night sky. Mir undoubtedly provoked many thoughts around the globe about who we—as a human race—are and where we are going.

The cosmonauts and astronauts who were fortunate enough to travel to Mir were always impressed by its appearance. Regardless, Mir remained difficult to describe. Someone once called Mir a 100-ton Tinker Toy, a term that recalled Mir's construction. Adding modules over the years, and then sometimes rearranging them, the Russians had built the strangest, biggest structure ever seen in outer space. Traveling at an average speed of 17,885 mph, the space station orbited about 250 miles above the Earth. Mir was both great and graceful—and incongruous and awkward—all at the same time.

In outward appearance, Mir has also been compared to a dragonfly with its wings outstretched, and to a hedgehog whose spines could pierce a spacewalker's suit. NASA-4 Mir Astronaut Jerry Linenger compared Mir to "six school buses all hooked together. It was as if four of the buses were driven into a four-way intersection at the same time. They collided and became attached. All at right angles to each other, these four buses made up the four Mir science modules. ... Priroda and Spektr were relatively new additions ... and looked it—each sporting shiny gold foil, bleached-white solar blankets, and unmarred thruster pods. Kvant-2 and Kristall ... showed their age. Solar blankets were yellowed ... and looked as drab as a Moscow winter and were pockmarked with raggedy holes, the result of losing battles with micrometeorite and debris strikes over the years."

On the inside, Mir often surprised people, too, even when they thought they were ready for the view. By the time Americans arrived on Mir—nearly a decade into its life—the station had become cluttered with used-up and broken equipment and floating bags of trash. During Mir's lifetime, no adequate remedy was ever developed to deal with the stowage situation. Mir looked like a metal rabbit warren, or, as Mike Foale put it, "a bit like a frat house, but more organized and better looked after."

Still, Mir was home and shelter to its crews, and how it looked to them depended on their perspectives and situations. The ivory-like controls of the Base Block reminded David Wolf of classic science-fiction stories, such as The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells. After a fly-around in the cramped Soyuz capsule, Jerry Linenger wrote: "Looking into the station I could see a lone ray of light shining through the port widow and outlining the dining table. We had left some food out for dinner. It was the only time during my stay in space that Mir looked warm, inviting, and spacious. It reminded me of opening the door to a summer cottage that been boarded up for the winter, looking inside, and seeing familiar surroundings."

Mir set every record in long-duration spaceflight. Physician Valeri Polyakov lived aboard Mir for a single, continuous-orbit stay of 437 days, 17 hours and 38 minutes. He completed his stay in 1995 as American Norm Thagard began his Mir residency. Polyakov's experiences contributed greatly to the biomedical studies of long-term human spaceflight conducted by the Institute of Biomedical Problems, where he served as Deputy Director. Combined with an earlier Mir expedition flight, the Russian cosmonaut spent a total 678 days, 16 hours and 33 minutes on the Russian space station. However, his achievement for total time in space was surpassed in 1999 by Sergei Avdeyev who endured a total 747 days, 14 hours and 12 minutes, during three space missions. During Shuttle-Mir, Shannon Lucid set the space endurance record for women in 1996 when she spent 188 days, 4 hours and 00 minutes in orbit.

Just as "mir"—the word—had many meanings for Russians, Mir—the place—provoked many different feelings. In February 1995, Russian cosmonaut Vladimir Titov flew aboard the "near Mir" flight, STS-63, when the Shuttle rendezvoused with Mir. Six years earlier, Titov had spent a year aboard Mir as an expedition member, when Mir consisted of only the Base Block, the two Kvant modules, a Soyuz, and a Progress spacecraft. About seeing Mir again, Titov said, "It was very wonderful, a wonderful view." STS-63 did not dock, but Titov visited Mir again as a crewmember of STS-86.

Alas, the sturdy Mir was built on a sinking foundation. Without repeated boostings, all things in low Earth orbit must eventually come down. With the new International Space Station requiring much of the Russian space program's attention and financing, the Mir Space Station was doomed to be deorbited. A strong effort rallied in Russia to keep Mir aloft; and at one point, Russian State Duma representatives were calling for the firing of Yuri Koptev from his post as the head of Russia's aerospace agency. However, on December 30, 2000, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed a resolution calling for Mir to be sunk into the ocean, early in 2001.

Concerns circled the globe about Mir crashing into populated areas. Mir's path crossed over nearly every city on Earth. Its orbits tracked over everything between 51 degrees North and South latitude, roughly within the limits of the Aleutian Islands to the north and the southern Andes Mountains to the south. Pieces of previous large spacecraft had landed in Canada, Australia, and southern South America, albeit fortunately without any damages or casualties.

For Mir, Russia acquired insurance in the event that its deorbit caused some physical damage. Japan kept a close watch because the final orbit would bring the Mir over the island nation. The U.S. government provided Russia with tracking and trajectory data, atmospheric conditions, and even solar activity, which can cause the Earth's atmosphere to expand farther into space. Although there was considerable certainty that debris could be limited to falling in the ocean, Yuri Semenov, RSC Energia President, was quoted as saying, "We don't have a 100-percent safety guarantee."

After more than 86,000 total orbits, Mir re-entered Earth's atmosphere on Friday, March 23, 2001, at 9 a.m. Moscow time. The 134-ton space structure broke up over the southern Pacific Ocean. Some of its larger pieces blazed harmlessly into the sea, about 1,800 miles east of New Zealand. Observers in Fiji reported spectacular gold- and white-streaming lights. An amazing saga and a highly successful program finally had come to a watery end.

Anatoly Solovyev had lived a total of 651 days on Mir and served as Mir-24 commander for Americans Mike Foale and David Wolf. He was quoted in Star City as saying, "I am especially sad these days. An entire era of our Soviet space program is ending, into which we invested not only our money but, what is more important, our intellectual potential."

The Russians' investment began when a Soviet Proton launcher boosted Mir's Base Block (core module) into orbit on February 20, 1986. This module resembled the existing Salyut-7 space station, but Mir's design called for expansion through the addition of future modules. Mir's first crew arrived in mid-March 1986, and the inaugural crew of Leonid Kizim and Vladimir Solovyev stayed aboard until May 5, 1986. This Solovyev would later become the Russian cochair of the Flight Operations Working Group for the Shuttle-Mir Program. And it was he who took charge of the Moscow Mission Control Center immediately after the Progress resupply vehicle collided with Mir, during NASA-5 Mir Astronaut Mike Foale's residency.

In 1987, the Soviets added Mir's first expansion module, Kvant-1, and had the world's first modular space station. They still needed a more versatile way of transporting crews and equipment to and from Mir—something like the American Space Shuttle. In 1988, the Soviets launched the Buran, a winged, reusable space vehicle and a close copy of the U.S. Shuttle. Its first flight was near perfect. However, at this point in history, the Soviet Union was crumbling. No further Buran flights were attempted; four planned orbiters remained unfinished.

The Soyuz-TM vehicle and Progress-M resupply (cargo) vehicle became the transports of crews and supplies to the Mir. The Kvant-1 featured a docking port to accommodate the arrival of these spacecraft. The system worked well as the Russian space station was unoccupied on only five brief occasions until its deorbit on March 23, 2001. During its existence, the station had remained almost continuously occupied for nine years.

Mir continued to expand during the next years with the additions of modules for research and residence. Kvant-2 arrived in November 1989 with an airlock that allowed crewmembers access to the outside of the complex for extravehicular activities. Kristall, launched at the end of May 1990, housed Earth observation instruments and was used for semiconductor and biological experiments. Five years later, Spektr, a remote-sensing module for geophysical sciences, was added to the Mir.

On June 29, 1995, U.S. Space Shuttles began docking with the Russian space station. Before this first docking, the Mir-19 crew used the Lyappa manipulator arm to relocate the Kristall, thus allowing ample clearance for Atlantis. In November 1995, a new docking module arrived via STS-74 and was attached to the Kristall to provide means for future dockings without interference. The next year, on April 23, 1996, the final module, the Priroda, was added to the Mir.

The complex retained a docked Soyuz-TM vehicle at all times as this spacecraft served as the crew's "lifeboat." The vehicle carried a maximum of three persons, took two to three days to reach its destination, and could remain docked with the Mir for approximately 200 days before its orbital lifetime limit expired.

The resident Soyuz was used for an occasional, scheduled "fly-around" of the T-shaped Mir, but crews primarily ventured outside for extravehicular activities (EVAs). During Mir's lifetime, crewmembers spent more than 325 hours as part of 75 planned spacewalks to conduct research and repairs on the exterior of the structure. Additional hours were spent during three intravehicular walks inside the unpressurized Spektr module. Participants in the Mir EVAs included 29 Russian cosmonauts, 3 U.S. astronauts, 2 French astronauts, and 1 European Space Agency astronaut who was a citizen of Germany. Cosmonaut Anatoly Solovyev donned the Russian Orlan spacesuit for 16 spacewalks for a total time of 77 hours, 46 minutes—more EVA time than any other spacewalker in the world.

After the Russian space station moved into its second decade, the Mir became notorious as an accident-prone spacecraft, even as it remained unparalleled in continuous service. A 15-minute fire in an oxygen-generating device imperiled the station in February 1997. Failures of the Elektron electrolysis oxygen-enerating units and problems with attitude and environmental controls often seemed to alternate with computer malfunctions and power outages. The June 1997 collision with the Progress supply vehicle breached the integrity of the Spektr's hull and rendered that module uninhabitable.

But, Mir remained; and its space explorers endured. Over its lifetime, the space station hosted 125 cosmonauts and astronauts from 12 different nations. It supported 17 space expeditions, including 28 long-term crews.

Its residents arrived via the 31 spacecraft that docked with Mir; nine of the dockings involved the Space Shuttle. Additionally, 64 uncrewed cargo vessels ferried supplies and equipment periodically to Mir. And, it served as a floating laboratory for 23,000 scientific and medical experiments.

Although Mir was gone by early 2001 and the International Space Station (ISS) was growing rapidly in orbit, the U.S. and Russia were still using spacecraft as statecraft. On March 23—the same day as Mir's deorbit—Russia expelled four U.S. diplomats and said it would expel 46 more, in retaliation for the American expulsion of 50 Russian diplomats for espionage-like activities. It wasn't the Cold War, all over again, but international tensions were certainly continuing, and the need remained for a worthy program for U.S. and Russian cooperation.

One could still apply to the ISS the same hopes that Shuttle Commander Charlie Precourt had held for it during Shuttle-Mir. Precourt had predicted that the ISS would "provide the psychological impetus for politicians to force themselves to find an agreement to disputes that otherwise they wouldn't—because they'll all look up there and say, 'Well, we have an investment in that, too. We have to keep this relationship going in a proper direction.'" Although the U.S.-Russian relationship was still going in the "proper direction," toward continued cooperation in space, the proper use and the funding of ISS were still in question. NASA cost overruns for the ISS clouded the program's future, and Russia's foreign department was threatening to reduce its participation in the ISS. To make the situation even more complicated, the ISS partner nations were discussing whether Russia should launch a wealthy, American "space tourist" to the space station.

Notwithstanding all the diplomatic wrangling, Mir's demise also coincided neatly with the successful finish to the first U.S.-Russian expedition to the ISS. On March 22, 2001, Expedition One crewmembers Sergei Krikalev, Yuri Gidzenko, and Commander William Shepherd returned to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. They received a ride from STS-102 Shuttle Commander James Wetherbee and a crew that included former Mir resident Andy Thomas. STS-102 had ferried the Expedition Two crew of James Voss, Susan Helms, and Commander Yury Usachev to the station.

Just as the ISS itself grew out of the lessons of Mir, many of the principal people in the ISS Program drew from their experiences during the Shuttle-Mir Program. And, in Houston and in Moscow, American and Russian managers, engineers and technicians who had worked in the Shuttle-Mir Program were working to make the ISS a success.

The International Space Station was growing, but the memories of Mir refused to fade. Indeed, people had anticipated its demise for long enough that, even before it fell, it had entered nostalgia. In a 1998 interview, Vladimir Semyachkin reflected on Mir. He had developed the motion control systems and navigation systems for all vehicles and stations that were produced and launched into space by RSC Energia. Semyachkin, as much as anyone, had wrestled with Mir's problems. He said:

"It's a shame.... Our child, who we gave birth to so many years ago, ... we're going to have to put it to sleep. But, on the other hand, we understand that sometimes there's nothing to be done.... One cannot sit, as it were, on two chairs at the same time. Nevertheless, despite this sorrow with ... regard to Mir, we nonetheless do look forward to the future with a great deal of hope."
See Diagrams of the Mir Space Station Go on a video tour of Mir with Shannon Lucid See animation video of the Mir Space Station deorbit and reentry

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The space station Mir became a legend in its own time reflecting Russia's past space glories and her future as a leader in space. The Russian Space Station Mir endured 15 years in orbit, three times its planned lifetime. It outlasted the Soviet Union, that launched it into space.

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Voyager 1 is a spacecraft used by NASA to explore Jupiter and Saturn. It is identical in form to its sister ship, Voyager 2. It was actually sent to study the outer planets of the Solar System, but is now in an extended mission.

Voyager 1 is now out of the Solar System. Its research team announced the exit on 25 August 2012. Voyager 1 has already reached interstellar space after going through the final area which was a magnetic field.

Voyager 1 was launched on September 5, 1977.

Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 include the Voyager Golden Record, which is a recording of sounds and images of life on earth. The sounds are almost out of all languages spoken in Earth. It was designed by a team headed by Carl Sagan to communicate with extraterrestrial life.

Related pages

Images for kids

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Voyager 1 is a spacecraft used by NASA to explore Jupiter and Saturn. It is identical in form to its sister ship, Voyager 2. It was actually sent to study the outer planets of the Solar System, but is now in an extended mission. Voyager 1 is now out of the Solar System.

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NASA has beautiful photos of every planet in our solar system. We even have images of faraway Neptune, as you can see in the photo above.

Neptune is much too distant for an astronaut to travel there with a camera. So, how do we have pictures from distant locations in our solar system? Our photographers were two spacecraft, called Voyager 1 and Voyager 2!

The Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft launched from Earth in 1977. Their mission was to explore Jupiter and Saturn -and beyond to the outer planets of our solar system. This was a big task. No human-made object had ever attempted a journey like that before.

The two spacecraft took tens of thousands of pictures of Jupiter and Saturn and their moons. The pictures from Voyager 1 and 2 allowed us to see lots of things for the first time. For example, they captured detailed photos of Jupiter's clouds and storms, and the structure of Saturn's rings.

Voyager 1 and 2 also discovered active volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io, and much more. Voyager 2 also took pictures of Uranus and Neptune. Together, the Voyager missions discovered 22 moons.

Since then, these spacecraft have continued to travel farther away from us. Voyager 1 and 2 are now so far away that they are in interstellar space -the region between the stars. No other spacecraft have ever flown this far away.

Both spacecraft are still sending information back to Earth. This data will help us learn about conditions in the distant solar system and interstellar space.

The Voyagers have enough fuel and power to operate until 2025 and beyond. Sometime after this they will not be able to communicate with Earth anymore. Unless something stops them, they will continue to travel on and on, passing other stars after many thousands of years.

Each Voyager spacecraft also carries a message. Both spacecraft carry a golden record with scenes and sounds from Earth. The records also contain music and greetings in different languages. So, if intelligent life ever find these spacecraft, they may learn something about Earth and us as well!

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Voyager 1 and 2: The Interstellar Mission

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NASA has beautiful photos of every planet in our solar system. We even have images of faraway Neptune, as you can see in the photo above. Neptune is much too distant for an astronaut to travel there with a camera. So, how do we have pictures from distant locations in our solar system?

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Quick facts for kids
Skylab

Skylab as photographed by its departing final crew (Skylab 4)

Skylab program insignia

Station statistics
COSPAR ID | 1973-027A
Call sign | Skylab
Crew | 3 per mission (9 total)

Launch

May 14, 1973
17:30:00 UTC

Carrier rocket | Saturn V
Launch pad | Kennedy Space Center LC-39A

Reentry

July 11, 1979
16:37:00 UTC
near Perth, Australia

Mission status | Complete

Mass

170,000 lb (77,000 kg)
w/o Apollo CSM

Length

82.4 feet (25.1 m)
w/o Apollo CSM

Width

55.8 feet (17.0 m)
w/ one solar panel

Height

36.3 feet (11.1 m)
w/ telescope mount

Diameter | 21.67 feet (6.6 m)
Pressurised volume | 12,417 cu ft (351.6 m³)
Atmospheric pressure | 5.0 psi (34 kPa) Oxygen 74%, nitrogen 26%
Perigee | 269.7 mi (434.0 km)
Apogee | 274.6 mi (441.9 km)
Orbital inclination | 50°
Orbital period | 93.4 min
Orbits per day | 15.4
Days in orbit | 2,249 days
Days occupied | 171 days
No. of orbits | 34,981
Distance travelled | ~890,000,000 mi (1,400,000,000 km)
Statistics as of Re-entry July 11, 1979
Configuration

Skylab configuration as planned

Skylab was the first United States space station, launched by NASA, occupied for about 24 weeks between May 1973 and February 1974. It was operated by three separate three-man crews: SL-2, SL-3 and SL-4. Major operations included an orbital workshop, a solar observatory, Earth observation, and hundreds of experiments.

Unable to be re-boosted by the Space Shuttle, which was not ready until the early 1980s, Skylab burned up in the Earth's atmosphere in 1979, over the Pacific Ocean.

Overview

As of 2019 it was the only space station operated exclusively by the United States. A permanent US station was planned starting in 1969, but funding for this was canceled and replaced with US participation in an International Space Station in 1993.

Skylab included a workshop, a solar observatory, and several hundred life science and physical science experiments, and was launched uncrewed into low Earth orbit by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a weight of 170,000 pounds (77,000 kg). This was the final mission for the Saturn V rocket, more commonly known for carrying the crewed Moon landing missions. Three subsequent missions delivered three-astronaut crews in the Apollo command and service module (Apollo CSM) launched by the smaller Saturn IB rocket. For the final two crewed missions to Skylab, NASA assembled a backup Apollo CSM/Saturn IB in case an in-orbit rescue mission was needed, but this vehicle was never flown. The station was damaged during launch when the micrometeoroid shield tore away from the workshop, taking one of the main solar panel arrays with it and jamming the other main array. This deprived Skylab of most of its electrical power and also removed protection from intense solar heating, threatening to make it unusable. The first crew deployed a replacement heat shade and freed the jammed solar panels to save Skylab. This was the first time that a repair of this magnitude was performed in space.

Skylab included the Apollo Telescope Mount (a multi-spectral solar observatory), a multiple docking adapter with two docking ports, an airlock module with extravehicular activity (EVA) hatches, and the orbital workshop, the main habitable space inside Skylab. Electrical power came from solar arrays and fuel cells in the docked Apollo CSM. The rear of the station included a large waste tank, propellant tanks for maneuvering jets, and a heat radiator. Astronauts conducted numerous experiments aboard Skylab during its operational life. The telescope significantly advanced solar science, and observation of the Sun was unprecedented. Astronauts took thousands of photographs of Earth, and the Earth Resources Experiment Package (EREP) viewed Earth with sensors that recorded data in the visible, infrared, and microwave spectral regions. The record for human time spent in orbit was extended beyond the 23 days set by the Soyuz 11 crew aboard Salyut 1 to 84 days by the Skylab 4 crew.

Later plans to reuse Skylab were stymied by delays in development of the Space Shuttle, and Skylab's decaying orbit could not be stopped. Skylab's atmospheric reentry began on July 11, 1979, amid worldwide media attention. Before re-entry, NASA ground controllers tried to adjust Skylab's orbit to minimize the risk of debris landing in populated areas, targeting the south Indian Ocean, which was partially successful. Debris showered Western Australia, and recovered pieces indicated that the station had disintegrated lower than expected. As the Skylab program drew to a close, NASA's focus had shifted to the development of the Space Shuttle. NASA space station and laboratory projects included Spacelab, Shuttle-Mir, and Space Station Freedom, which was merged into the International Space Station.

Images for kids

Illustration for MOL

The floor grating of Skylab under construction

Von Braun's sketch of a Space Station based on conversion of a Saturn V stage, 1964.

Major components of Skylab

Launch of the modified Saturn V rocket carrying the Skylab space station

Skylab 3's Saturn IB at night, July 1973

Skylab in orbit in 1973 as flown, docking ports in view

Solar prominence recorded by Skylab on August 21, 1973

Hurrican Ellen of 1973, as seen from Skylab

Overview of most major experiments

A labeled illustration of a Skylab film vault, from Skylab: A Guidebook (EP-107) by NASA

Skylab could change its attitude without using propellant by changing the spin of large gyroscopes

Here is an astronaut in the shower, with curtain partially down. July 1973

Conrad in the Skylab shower in 1973

Earth testing showing partially and fully enclosed positions of the shower "curtain"

A view of the Skylab space station taken with a hand-held 70 mm Hasselblad camera using a 100 mm lens and SO-368 medium speed Ektachrome film

The island of Crete as photographed on June 22, 1973 from Skylab

Skylab as SL2 mission departs

This is the Skylab Rescue vehicle, a Saturn IB and modified Apollo CSM, being dismantled after the manned Skylab missons, Although it was not launched was an actual rocket and crew on standby, and it was also and back up for Apollo-Soyuz, and the rocket might have been used for the cancelled Skylab 5 mission

Concept for proposed Skylab re-boost

Skylab in February 1974, as SL-4 departs

Skylab captured this view of the Sun

5-person Apollo Command module for the Apollo Rescue mission, could take 2 up and 5 down

SA-209 served on standby for Skylab 4 and ASTP, and has been preserved at a NASA space center

An astronaut mannequin dines aboard the backup Skylab at the Smithsonian NASM.

SkyLab commemorative stamp, Issue of 1974. The commemorative stamp reflects initial repairs to the station, including the parasol sunshade.

Illustration of Skylab configuration with docked Command/Service Module

Vanguard (T-AGM-19) seen as a NASA Skylab tracking ship. Note the tracking radar and telemetry antennas.

Robbins medallions issued for Skylab Missions.

Space Center Houston Skylab 1-G Trainer depicting astronaut mannequins in the wardroom and taking a shower

An astronaut mannequin performs a spacewalk alongside the Skylab 1-G Trainer telescope at Space Center Houston

An astronaut mannequin exercises in the Skylab 1-G Trainer at Space Center Houston

All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:

Skylab Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.

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From Academic Kids

Skylab is also the name of a research station at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica.

America's first space station, the 75 metric ton Skylab, was in Earth orbit from 1973-1979, and visited by crews three times in 1973 and 1974.

It was launched May 14, 1973 by a two-stage version of the Saturn V booster (the SL-1 mission). Severe damage was sustained during launch, including the loss of the station's micrometeoroid shield/sun shade and one of its main solar panels. Debris from the lost micrometeroid shield further complicated matters by pinning the remaining solar panel to the side of the station, preventing its deployment and thus leaving the station with a huge power deficit. The station underwent extensive repair during a spacewalk by the first crew, which launched on May 25, 1973 ( the SL-2 mission) atop a Saturn IB. Two additional missions followed on July 28, 1973 ( SL-3) and November 16, 1973 ( SL-4) with stay times of 28, 59, and 84 days, respectively. The last Skylab crew returned to Earth on February 8, 1974.

Skylab was actually the refitted S-IVB second stage of a Saturn IB booster (from the AS-212 vehicle), a leftover from the Apollo program originally intended for one of the canceled Apollo earth orbital missions. A product of the Apollo Applications Program (a program tasked with finding long-term uses for Apollo program hardware), Skylab was originally planned as a minimally-altered S-IVB to be launched on a Saturn IB. The small size of the IB would have required Skylab to double as a rocket stage during launch, only being retrofitted as a space station once on-orbit. With the cancellation of Apollo missions 18-20 a Saturn V was made available and thus the " Wet Workshop" concept, as it was called, was put aside and Skylab was launched dry and fully outfitted. Skylab's grid flooring system was a highly visible legacy of the wet workshop concept.

The mission computer used aboard Skylab was the IBM System/4Pi TC-1, a relative of the AP-101 Space Shuttle computers.

All told, Skylab orbited Earth 2,476 times during the 171 days and 13 hours of its occupation during the three manned Skylab missions. Astronauts performed ten spacewalks totalling 42 hours 16 minutes. Skylab logged about 2,000 hours of scientific and medical experiments, including eight solar experiments. The coronal holes in the Sun were discovered. Many of the experiments conducted investigated the astronauts' adaptation to extended periods of microgravity. Each Skylab mission set a record for the duration of time astronauts spent in space.

Following the last mission, Skylab was left in a parking orbit expected to last at least 8 years. Increased solar activity, heating the outer layers of the earth's atmosphere and thereby increasing drag on Skylab, led to an early reentry on July 11, 1979. Skylab disintegrated over Western Australia and the Indian Ocean, casting large pieces of debris in thinly populated areas (fortunately, the only casualty being an Australian cow). The reentry prevented any further use by the then unfinished Space Shuttle as was envisioned by some at NASA.

Skylab reentered at 16:37 UTC on July 16, 1979. Earth reentry footprint: a narrow band (approx. 4° wide) beginning at about 48°S, 87°E and ending at about 12°S, 144°E, over the Indian Ocean and Western Australia (debris found between Esperance and Rawlinna, 31-34°S, 122-126°E).

Two flight-quality Skylabs were built. The second, a backup, is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Skylab Expeditions

See also

External links

Template:Commons

Template:Skylab

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Skylab is also the name of a research station at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. America's first space station, the 75 metric ton Skylab, was in Earth orbit from 1973-1979, and visited by crews three times in 1973 and 1974. It was launched May 14, 1973 by a two-stage version of the Saturn V booster (the SL-1 mission).

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Soyuz means "union" in Russian. The Soyuz programme is the longest operational human spacecraft programme in the history of space exploration. The first crewed flight into space was on 23 April 1967. Although they were conceived by the Soviet Union at the start of the sixties, the Soyuz spacecraft are still used today, but with important modifications. They have transported Russian crews to the Soviet stations Salyut and Mir. Currently the Soyuz are the only spacecraft available to transport crews to and from the International Space Station.

The Soyuz vehicles are launched by Russian rockets of the same name, which have already had over 1680 successful launches in total, including satellites and manned spacecraft. Neither the Soyuz rockets nor the Soyuz vehicles are reusable.

The Soyuz spacecraft weigh 7 tonnes; they measure 7.2 m in length and 2.7 m in diameter. With the solar panels open (they remain closed during launch) the Soyuz measures 10.6 m across. A Soyuz vehicle can carry up to three astronauts.

A Soyuz is made up of three modules: the service, the orbital and the reentry modules. The orbital module (the "tip" of the spacecraft) carries the equipment necessary to dock with the International Space Station. The service module (the lower part) transports, among other things, telecommunications and altitude control equipment and the coupling of the solar panels. The descent module (in the middle) is where the astronauts travel and it is the only section that reenters the atmosphere - the orbital module breaks up during reentry.

The journey of the Soyuz to the International Space Station can last six hours or two days depending on the mission profile. The return journey, in contrast, lasts only 3 hours. Normally, the decent module touches down on Earth at a velocity of less than 2 m/s.

The habitable space in the descent module is just 4 cubic metres. The decent module weighs 2.9 tonnes.

The previous version of the Soyuz was the TMA, which replaced the TM. The "A" corresponds to "anthropometric", because in this model height limitations for the crew were eliminated. The first flight of a TMA (the TMA-1) took place on 30 October 2002. Upon its return to Earth, in May 2003, a problem forced it to reenter in ballistic mode and land 460 km away from the planned landing site. The astronauts were not hurt, thanks also to the "soft landing" system that reduces the impact of landing from 12 g (as it was in the Soyuz TM series) to 5 g.

The current version of the Soyuz is the MS spacecraft. The 'MS' denotes the most recent update to the fourth generation of this long-serving spacecraft. It stands for Modified Systems, with many smaller technological upgrades to make the spacecraft lighter and more modern. For example halogen lights have been replaced with LEDs and newer and larger solar panels to increase power generation.

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Soyuz means "union" in Russian. The Soyuz programme is the longest operational human spacecraft programme in the history of space exploration. The first crewed flight into space was on 23 April 1967. Although they were conceived by the Soviet Union at the start of the sixties, the Soyuz spacecraft are still used today, but with important modifications.

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Photo Of American and Russian Astronauts meeting during the NASA/Soyuz project.

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Photo Of American and Russian Astronauts meeting during the NASA/Soyuz project.

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American astronaut Thomas P. Stafford and Soviet cosmonaut Aleksey Leonov in the passage between the Apollo Docking Module and the Soyuz Orbital Module during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, July 17, 1975.

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

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The Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion (On Epic)

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The Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion (On Epic)

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Read The Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion on Epic

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

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Read The Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion on Epic

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The space shuttle Challenger explosion killed all seven crew members, including Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire schoolteacher.

It appeared to be an explosion, the news reported it, and NASA officials originally described it as such. However, further study revealed no blast or explosion in the sense that we typically define the words.

'Uhh...oh!' shouted the shuttle's pilot Smith as the final words were overheard. Challenger was a NASA-operated space shuttle orbiter built by Rockwell International.Challenger was the second space shuttle orbiter to sail into space following Columbia and flew on its maiden flight in April 1983. It was titled after the commanding ship of a 19th-century scientific mission that traveled worldwide.Learn all about it with this fun article, and share it with your friends!

The Mission Of Space Shuttle Challenger

Between 1983 to 1986, the Challenger completed nine successful missions well before the catastrophe. The majority of these successful missions took one week or less.

Sally Ride, the first American female in space, and Guion Bluford, the first African-American into space, traveled on the space shuttle Challenger on the historic missions. At NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the space shuttle Challenger is pushed out to Launch Pad 39A.

The Challenger crew's primary goal was to have an Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) install a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) dubbed TDRS-B as a component of a constellation to permit constant contact with orbiting spacecraft.

The space shuttle was the first recoverable human-crewed spaceship on the planet. It was propelled with the assistance of detachable booster rockets that would separate during flight. Scientists and astronauts onboard the space shuttle would launch satellites, conduct experiments, and operate on the International Space Station while they were in orbit. Finally, the space shuttle would float to a runway touchdown upon landing. In 2011, the final space shuttle flight got conducted.

Cause Of The Disaster

The failure of two backup O-ring seals in a connection in the right solid rocket booster of the space shuttle triggered the disaster.

The launch's record-low temperatures weakened the rubber O-rings' flexibility, decreasing their capacity to seal the connections in the freezing temperatures. A valve in the solid-fuel rocket booster aimed at preventing leakage from the fuel tank before liftoff deteriorated and cracked, allowing hot gas to flood through the hole.

A rocket booster malfunction destroyed the fuel tank, resulting in the explosion. The common consensus was that the team of seven probably died almost immediately. However, evidence shows a different scenario, one that NASA reportedly hid in the following days of the tragedy. President Ronald Reagan created a commission to investigate the disaster.

Fault During Launch

After multiple delays, the Challenger was scheduled to launch on January 28, 1986.

It was a chilly morning, and the shuttle was mainly coated with ice. However, NASA engineers had decided that the snow had thawed and that the Challenger could fly by 11:00 a.m. The count to liftoff began, and the Challenger lifted off at 11:39 a.m. Everything appeared to be OK at first. The Challenger took out into the skies and was quickly gaining altitude. But, something went awry at 50,800 ft (15483.84 m). The Challenger split apart in mid-flight, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

Facts About The Launch

Challenger space shuttle facts! The space shuttle Challenger was the first to launch at dark.

Due to Christa McAuliffe, classrooms all over the United States were following the launch. As a result, approximately 17% of Americans witnessed the Challenger's launch live. The final flight took 73 seconds to complete.Unfortunately, the space shuttle Challenger exploded as it rejoined the Earth's atmosphere in 2003, causing yet another calamity.

Many people were aware of the potential defect in the seals. However, their warnings were disregarded, according to the research. The coins will be released in 2021 to honor the 35th commemoration of the tragedy. The exact time of the crew's demise is uncertain; some crew members are considered to have escaped the spacecraft's initial breakup. As a result, NASA stopped all space shuttle missions for the next two years. For improved safety, several of the pieces were modified. In addition, additional procedures were implemented to ensure that this did not happen again.

The seven members of the crew! The mission's commander, Dick Scobee, had previously flown the Challenger on another task, and the shuttle's pilot was Mike Smith. Judith Resnik was a mission specialist and engineer and the second female from the United States to go into space. Ellison Onizuka, a mission specialist and engineer was the initial Asian American in orbit, traveling on the space shuttle Discovery.

Ronald McNair, a physicist and a mission specialist on the mission, was the second African American in space during a previous Challenger flight. Gregory Jarvis was a payload expert and a satellite design engineer. Finally, Christa McAuliffe was a New Hampshire educator.

Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire teacher, was selected to become the first teacher in space on July 19, 1985. She was chosen as a citizen and NASA's first school teacher in space as part of the Teacher in Space Project, which aims to raise awareness and encourage children to dream big. For NASA's Teacher in the Space program, Barbara Morgan was chosen as a second candidate.

FAQs

Q: What was special about the space shuttle Challenger?

A: On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger catastrophe happened when the Challenger (OV-099) exploded 73 seconds into its launch, killing the seven crew members. It was the first catastrophic accident with an American spacecraft in space.

Q: How long was the Challenger in space?

A: Challenger flew ten flights in the space shuttle program over its three years of service, lasting around 62 days in space and performing nearly 1,000 orbits around the Earth.

Q: What were the last words from the Challenger space shuttle?

A: 'Uhh...oh!' shouted the shuttle's pilot Smith as the final words were heard.

Q: Who was responsible for the Challenger disaster?

A: The main reason for the Challenger accident was the breakdown of two rubber O-rings that close a junction between the two bottom portions of the right solid rocket booster. This breakdown was caused by extreme cold, and it allowed warm exhaust gas from inside the rocket to escape during the shuttle's ascension.

Q: Were the bodies of the Challenger astronauts recovered?

A: The astronauts' bodies were discovered in the debris of the crew compartment in March 1986.

Q: Did the families of the Challenger crew sue NASA?

A: Only the Jarvis and McAuliffe families had the right to file a lawsuit; Any of the astronauts' relatives might sue Morton Thiokol. In addition, a NASA team member, McNair, and the parent of mission specialist Judith A. Resnik will file individual lawsuits against Morton Thiokol.

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Facts About Space Shuttle Challenger To Understand What Happened

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The space shuttle Challenger explosion killed all seven crew members, including Christa McAuliffe, a New Hampshire schoolteacher. It appeared to be an explosion, the news reported it, and NASA officials originally described it as such. However, further study revealed no blast or explosion in the sense that we typically define the words.

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NASA's Voyager Mission is the longest continuously operating space mission. It consists of two twin spacecraft named Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Both the spacecrafts are identical in construction. This mission was developed in the early 1970's with the purpose of making a grand tour of Jupiter and Saturn.

There were plans to include Uranus and Neptune as well if everything would work according to the plan. Voyager 1 was launched on September 5th 1977 and Voyager 2 was launched 16 days before this on August 20th 1977.
Quick Facts: -

At a distance of 20.8 billion kilometers, Voyager 1 is the farthest human made object in space. Voyager 2 is at a distance of 14.2 billion kilometers.

These spacecrafts have explored all the giant planets of our outer solar system.

Voyager became the first ever spacecraft to travel beyond the limits of interstellar space in 2012.

This space probe travels at a speed of over 38,000 miles per hour which makes it the fastest moving man-made object in outer space.

For more than 40 years now the spacecraft have traveled through space and this makes it the oldest piece of space technology.

Each of the two twin probes of Voyager mission weighs around 722 kilograms.

These spacecrafts carry a greeting in a phonograph record for any possible life form on any other planet that could possibly encounter it in the future.

Voyager 1 has also recorded images of a volcano called Pele. This volcano is located on a moon of Saturn.

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NASA's Voyager Mission is the longest continuously operating space mission. It consists of two twin spacecraft named Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Both the spacecrafts are identical in construction. This mission was developed in the early 1970's with the purpose of making a grand tour of Jupiter and Saturn.

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Model of the Voyager spacecraft design

Mission type

Outer planetary, heliosphere, and interstellar medium exploration

Operator

NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory

COSPAR ID

1977-084A[1]

SATCAT no.

10321[2]

Website

voyager.jpl.nasa.gov

Mission duration

44 years, 7 months and 7 days elapsed

Planetary mission: 3 years, 3 months, 9 days

Interstellar mission: 41 years, 3 months and 29 days elapsed (continuing)

Spacecraft properties

Manufacturer

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Launch mass

825.5 kg (1,820 lb)

Power

470 watts (at launch)

Start of mission

Launch date

September 5, 1977, 12:56:00 UTC

Rocket
Titan IIIE

Launch site

Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 41

Flyby of Jupiter

Closest approach

March 5, 1979

Distance

349,000 km (217,000 mi)

Flyby of Saturn

Closest approach

November 12, 1980

Distance

124,000 km (77,000 mi)

Flyby of Titan (atmosphere study)

Closest approach

November 12, 1980

Distance

6,490 km (4,030 mi)

Voyager 1 is a space probe used by NASA to explore Jupiter and Saturn. It is identical in form to its sister spacecraft, .

Voyager 1 was launched on September 5, 1977, to study the outer planets of the Solar System. It is now in an extended mission. Its encounter with Saturn and Titan sent it on a hyperbolic trajectory out of the solar system, traveling at 17 km/s (38,000 mph; 61,000 km/h) which is much faster than escape velocity.

Voyager 1's research team announced on August 25, 2012 that it had left the solar system. It passed out of the heliosphere and into interstellar space. It is the most distant man-made object. It is also the first man-made object to leave the solar system. As of January 1, 2020 it was 13,820,529,067 miles (2.2241985531×10 ¹⁰ km) from Earth.

Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 include the Voyager Golden Record, which is a recording of sounds and images of life on Earth. It was designed by a team headed by Carl Sagan to communicate with extraterrestrial life.

Related pages

References

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Model of the Voyager spacecraft design Mission type Outer planetary, heliosphere, and interstellar medium exploration Operator NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory COSPAR ID 1977-084A[1] SATCAT no.

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The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger broke up 73 seconds after liftoff. All seven crew members were killed. The cause of the explosion was a part called an O-ring that broke in the right solid rocket booster. During the flight, hot gases escaped from the O-ring and made it break apart.

Problems before takeoff

It was very cold on the morning of the Space shuttle's launch. The Challenger's engineers argued that the Challenger should not take off because the temperature was 31°F (-1°C) and the O-Rings could not seal right if the temperature was under 53 °F (12°C). The NASA commanders did not agree and said that the backup O-ring would work. They were later proved wrong.

Another problem was that the temperature had gotten so low that icicles were hanging from some parts of the Challenger.

Vehicle breakup

At 66 seconds after liftoff, the command was given to allow the engines to produce the highest thrust possible (Known as throttling up) as the shuttle started moving faster than the sound it was making. Michael J. Smith responded with " Roger that, go to throttle up." However, at 72 seconds after liftoff, the right booster pulled away from one of the parts attaching to the external tank. Right then, the Challenger suddenly went off its intended path, which may have been felt by the crew. At 73 seconds after liftoff, Smith said the last words picked up by the recorder designed to record all interactions in the crew area of the shuttle during flight: " Uh oh...". Smith may have been responding to the shuttle's computer telling him that the engines were moving quickly to compensate for the now loose booster in a useless attempt to get the shuttle back on the planned path, which showed that he knew about the problem about 3 hundredths of a second before the shuttle was torn apart.

Little is known of what happened in the minutes after the breakup. The crew cabin was still intact as it started falling. The official report into the disaster says that the crew survived the first breakup and that at least three people were still alive. They were able to move switches which required a cover to be pulled off before they could be moved, probably when they tried to regain control of the craft. The crew cabin did not have any kind of parachute, and it hit the ocean after falling for 2 minutes and 45 seconds at roughly 207 mph (333 km/h), killing any crew that did survive the first break up instantly with well over 200 times the force of normal gravity, which is like going from 0 to over 4,384 mph (7056 km/h) and then slowing back down to 0 all within a second.

Investigation

Many people wanted to know why the Challenger exploded. President Ronald Reagan asked for a report about the disaster. It was called the Rogers Commission Report and it was written by a group of astronauts, scientists and engineers. They worked out what had happened and why the Challenger exploded. The report said that the people in charge at NASA did not listen to the engineers who said the O-rings were not safe; and that sometimes the people in charge thought that parts of the shuttle were well made when they were not. They also wrote that NASA sometimes did unsafe things because people would get angry if the shuttle launches were delayed.

There were no shuttle flights while the report was written. After the report was written, NASA had to be more careful in many different ways.

Images for kids

STS-51-L crew: (front row) Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair; (back row) Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik.

Gray smoke escaping from the right side SRB

Plume on right SRB at T+ 58.788 seconds

Recovered right solid rocket booster showing the hole caused by the plume.

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Space Shuttle Challenger disaster Facts for Kids

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The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger broke up 73 seconds after liftoff. All seven crew members were killed. The cause of the explosion was a part called an O-ring that broke in the right solid rocket booster.

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From Academic Kids

Mission Insignia

Mission Statistics

Launch:
April 19, 1971
01:40:00 UTC
Baikonur,
U.S.S.R

Reentry:
October 11, 1971

Number of
Orbits:
2,929

Distance
Traveled:
~73,696,192 mi
(~118,602,524 km)

Salyut 1

Salyut 1 (DOS 1) was the first Salyut space station, and the first human-made space station of any kind. It was launched April 19, 1971. Its first crew launched in Soyuz 10 but was unable to board it due to a failure in the docking mechanism; its second crew launched in Soyuz 11 and remained on board for 23 productive days. Unfortunately, a pressure-equalization valve in the Soyuz 11 reentry capsule opened prematurely when the crew returned to Earth, killing all three. Salyut 1 reentered Earth's atmosphere October 11, 1971.

Specifications

Length - 15.8 m

Maximum diameter - 4.15 m

Habitable volume - 90 m³

Weight at launch - 18,900 kg

Launch vehicle - Proton (three-stage)

Span across solar arrays - about 10 m

Area of solar arrays - 28 m²

Number of solar arrays - 4

Resupply carriers - Salyut 1-type Soyuz

Number of docking ports - 1

Total manned missions - 2

Total long-duration manned missions - 1

Visiting spacecraft and crews

Structure

At launch, the announced purpose of Salyut was to test the elements of the systems of a space station and to conduct scientific research and experiments. The craft was described as being 20 m in length, 4 m in maximum diameter, and 99 m³ in interior space with an on-orbit dry mass of 18,425 kg. Of its several compartments, three were pressurized (100 m³ total), and two could be entered by the crew. The first, or transfer, compartment was connected directly with Soyuz 11. Its docking cone had a 2 m front end diameter and a 3 m aft end diameter. The second, and main, compartment was about 4 m in diameter. Televised views showed enough space for eight big chairs (seven at work consoles), several control panels, and 20 portholes (some unobstructed by instruments). The third pressurized compartment contained the control and communications equipment, the power supply, the life support system, and other auxiliary equipment. The fourth, and final, compartment (unpressurized) was about 2 m in diameter and contained the engine installations and associated control equipment. Salyut had buffer chemical batteries, reserve supplies of oxygen and water, and regeneration systems. Externally mounted were two double sets of solar cell panels that extended like wings from the smaller compartments at each end, the heat regulation system's radiators, and orientation and control devices.

Salyut 1 Expeditions

Crews and missions

After taking 24 h for rendezvous and approach, Soyuz 10 docked with Salyut on April 23 and remained docked for 5.5 h. The crew did not transfer to the space station. Soyuz 11 required 3 h 19 min on June 7 to complete docking. The crew transferred to Salyut and their mission was announced as

1. checking and testing the design, units, onboard systems, and equipment of the orbital piloted station

2. trying out the methods and autonomous means of the station's orientation and navigation, as well as the systems for controlling the space complex while maneuvering in orbit

3. studying geological-geographical objects on Earth's surface, atmospheric formations, and the snow and ice cover of Earth

4. studying physical characteristics, processes, and phenomena in the atmosphere and outer space in various ranges of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, and

5. conducting medico-biological studies to determine the possibilities of performing various jobs by the cosmonauts in the station and study the influence of space flight factors on the human organism.

On June 29, after flying 362 orbits docked with Salyut, the Soyuz 11 crew transferred back to Soyuz 11. Salyut was moved to higher orbits in July and August of 1971 to ensure that it would not end through early orbital decay. On October 11, the Salyut engines were fired, for the last time, to lower its orbit and ensure prompt decay over the Pacific Ocean. After 175 days in space, the first real space station died. Pravda ( October 26, 1971) reported that the Salyut tasks were carried out in 75 percent of the cases by optical means, in 20 percent by radio-technical means, and the small balance by magneto-metrical, gravitational, and other studies. Synoptic readings were taken in both the visible and invisible parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

See also

References

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Mission Insignia Mission Statistics Launch: April 19, 1971 01:40:00 UTC Baikonur, U.S.S.R Reentry: October 11, 1971 Number ofOrbits: 2,929 DistanceTraveled: ~73,696,192 mi(~118,602,524 km) Salyut 1 Salyut 1 (DOS 1) was the first Salyut space station, and the first human-made space station of any kind. It was launched April 19, 1971.

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What Caused the Challenger Disaster? | HISTORY

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Seven lives were lost as communications failed in the face of public pressure to proceed with the launch despite dangerously cold conditions.

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NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery.

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Have you ever heard about the Voyager program? Well there is Voyager 1 & there is Voyager 2, and they are both spacecraft that were launched together at the same time, with a mission to explore and probe space outside of the solar system.

The probes were launched in 1977 at a time when the planets in the solar system were aligned. To this day the Voyager program is still going, with the probes on a mission to 'Interstellar' space.

Below is a picture of one the Voyager program's rocket launch from Earth.
Voyager 1
The Voyager 1 probe is one half of the Voyager Program, and was actually the 2nd probe to be launched from the 2 probes, even though it is called Voyager 1. Voyager 2 was launched first on August 20th, 1977, with Voyager 1 launched soon after on September 5th, 1977.

Launching in 1977, the plan for Voyager 1 is endless, and will only stop when it runs out of life. The first shot of the moon from Voyager 1 was taken soon after its launch. Voyager 1 flew by Jupiter in March 1979. Then by Saturn in November 1980. After visiting these planets, Voyager 1's main mission was completed.

In February 1990 NASA instructed the probe to turn's it's camera back around to Earth. This was at 6 billion kilometers.

Voyager 1 took it's most famous pictures, and one of the most famous pictures ever. The Pale Blue Dot. See this famous picture below.

The tiny spec of blue light suspended in a sun beam at the middle right of the picture is fact planet Earth. How small and beautiful!

From 1990 to 2004 and Voyager 1 travelled another 8 billion kilometers to reach terminal shock.

In 2012 and over 18 billion kilometers travelled, Voyager 1 crossed was is called Heliopause.

Now, Voyager 1 has reached 'Interstellar' space, which was the first thing that has ever done so from Earth.

In around 2025, Voyager 1 will be placed into sleep mode, however will continue travelling for as long as it possibly can. Voyager 1 carries the Earth's message into space that we 'Exist'

Below is a model picture of Voyager 1 that was launched on September 5th, 1977.
Voyager 2
The Voyager 2 probe is one half of the Voyager Program, and was actually the 1st probe to be launched from the 2 probes, even though it is called Voyager 2. Voyager 2 was launched first on August 20th, 1977, with Voyager 1 launched soon after on September 5th, 1977.

In 2017 Voyager 2 turned 40 years old. Voyager 2's primary mission was the same Voyager 1's, which was to visit and take pictures of planets Jupiter & Saturn, with it's secondary mission to visit and take pictures of planets Uranus & Neptune.

Voyager 2 has spent the same amount of time in space as Voyager 1, however is on a different trajectory and at a slightly slower speed.

Voyager 2 visited Jupiter in 1979 Saturn in 1981, Uranus in 1986 & Neptune in 1989. Voyager 2 will also eventually reach Interstellar space.

Below is a model picture of Voyager 2 that was launched on August 20th, 1977.

The Voyager Program will come to an end one day, where both Voyager 1 & 2 will stop functioning, however it looks like that this will not happen for a long time.

# 1. Voyager 1 moves at a speed of 11 miles per second.

# 2. Voyager 2 moves at a speed of 9.5 miles per second.

# 3. The launch site of the Voyager probes is NASA Cape Canaveral in Florida.

# 4. The Voyager probes were manufactured by Jet Propulsion Laboratories.

Q. When was Voyager 1 launched?

Q. When was Voyager 2 launched?

Q. Which Voyager probe took the picture of the Pale Blue Dot?

Q. What speed does Voyager 1 move at?

Q. What speed does Voyager 2 move at?

Download questions about Voyager here: Voyager (answers are on this page)

For further reading and more info on Voyager visit www.easyscienceforkids.com/voyager
Key Vocabulary Voyager. Program. Space. Launch. Earth.
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Have you ever heard about the Voyager program? Well there is Voyager 1 & there is Voyager 2, and they are both spacecraft that were launched together at the same time, with a mission to explore and probe space outside of the solar system.

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From Academic Kids

The Voyager 1 spacecraft is an 815-kilogram unmanned probe of the outer solar system and beyond, launched September 5, 1977, and currently operational. It is the farthest man-made object from Earth. The Voyager 1 spacecraft has moved into the solar system's final frontier, a vast area where the Sun's influence gives way to interstellar space. At 14 billion kilometers (95 astronomical units or 8.8 billion miles) from the Sun, Voyager 1 has entered the heliosheath, a region beyond termination shock - the critical boundary that marks the transition from the solar system into interstellar space. At this distance, signals from Voyager 1 take more than thirteen hours to reach its control center at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a joint project of NASA and Caltech near Pasadena, California. Voyager 1 is on a hyperbolic trajectory and has achieved escape velocity, meaning that its orbit will not return to the inner solar system. Along with , the now deactivated , and its sister ship , Voyager 1 is becoming an interstellar probe.

Voyager 1 had as its primary targets the planets Jupiter and Saturn and their associated moons and rings; its current mission is the detection of the heliopause and particle measurements of solar wind and the interstellar medium. Both Voyager probes are powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators, which have far outlasted their originally intended lifespan, and are now expected to continue to generate enough power to keep communicating with Earth until around the year 2020.

Mission planning and launch

Voyager 1 was originally planned as Mariner 11 of the Mariner program. From the outset, it was designed to take advantage of the then-new technique of gravity assist. By fortunate chance, the development of interplanetary probes coincided with an alignment of the planets called the Grand Tour. The Grand Tour was a linked series of gravity assists that, with only the minimal fuel needed for course corrections, would enable a single probe to visit all four of the solar system's gas giant planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The identical Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes were designed with the Grand Tour in mind, and their launches were timed to enable the Grand Tour if desired.

Voyager 1 was launched on September 5, 1977 by NASA from Cape Canaveral aboard a Titan IIIE Centaur rocket, slightly after its sister craft, . Despite being launched after Voyager 2, Voyager 1 was sent on a faster trajectory so it reached Jupiter and Saturn before its sister craft.

Initially, an underburn in the second stage of the Titan IIIE rocket left an estimated one second worth of fuel remaining in that stage. Although ground crews were worried that Voyager 1 would not make it to Jupiter, the Centaur upper stage proved to have enough fuel to compensate.

For details on the Voyager instrument packages, see the separate article on the Voyager program.

Jupiter

Voyager 1 began photographing Jupiter in January 1979. Its closest approach to Jupiter was on March 5, 1979, at a distance of 349,000 kilometers (217,000 miles) from its center. Due to the greater resolution allowed by close approach, most observations of the moons, rings, magnetic fields, and radiation environment of the Jupiter system were made in the 48-hour period bracketing closest approach. It finished photographing the planet in April.

The two Voyager spacecraft made a number of important discoveries about Jupiter and its satellites. The most surprising was the existence of volcanic activity on Io, which had not been observed from the ground or by or .

Saturn

The gravity assist at Jupiter was successful, and the spacecraft went on to visit Saturn. Voyager 1's Saturn flyby occurred in November 1980, with the closest approach on November 12 when it came within 124,000 kilometers (77,000 miles) of the planet's cloud-tops. The craft detected complex structures in Saturn's rings, and studied the atmospheres of Saturn and Titan. Because of the earlier discovery of a thick atmosphere on Titan, the Voyager controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory elected for Voyager 1 to make a close approach of Titan and terminate its Grand Tour. (For the continuation of the Grand Tour, see the Uranus and Neptune sections of the article.) The Titan-approach trajectory caused an additional gravity assist that took Voyager 1 out of the plane of the ecliptic, thus ending its planetary science mission.

Interstellar mission

It is estimated both Voyager craft would have sufficient electrical power to operate at least some instruments until 2020.

Heliopause

As the Voyager 1 space probe heads for interstellar space, its instruments continue to study the solar system; Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists are using the plasma wave experiments aboard Voyager 1 and 2 to look for the heliopause.

Scientists at the ( ( Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab believe that Voyager entered the termination shock in February 2003. Some other scientists have expressed doubt, discussed in the journal of November 6 2003. In a scientific session at the American Geophysical Union meeting in New Orleans on the morning of March 25 2005, Dr. Ed Stone presented clear evidence that Voyager 1 crossed the termination shock in December 2004 [1]http://www.agu.org/cgi-bin/SFgate/SFgate?&directget=1&application=sm05&database=%2Fdata%2Fepubs%2Fwais%2Findexes%2Fsm05%2Fsm05&=%22SH22A-01%22). The issue will not be resolved for some months as other data become available, since Voyager's solar-wind detector ceased functioning in 1990. However, in May 2005 a NASA press release said that consensus was that Voyager 1 was now in the heliosheath. [2]http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/voyager_agu.html).

Distance travelled

In March 2005, Voyager 1 was at a distance of 14.2 billion kilometers (95.0 AU or 8.83 billion miles) from the Sun, which makes it the most distant man-made object from Earth. It was travelling at a speed of 17.2 kilometers per second (3.6 AU per year or 38,400 miles per hour), 10% faster than Voyager 2. It is not heading straight towards any particular star, but even if Voyager 1 were going straight toward the closest star system, Alpha Centauri, it would take about 80,000 years to get there.

See also

External links

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Highlights

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched in 1977 and made a grand tour of the solar system's outer planets.

They are the only functioning spacecraft in interstellar space, and they are still sending back measurements of the interstellar medium.

Each spacecraft carries a copy of the golden record, a missive from Earth to any alien lifeforms that may find the probes in the future.

What are the Voyager missions?

The Voyager program consists of two spacecraft: Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Voyager 2 was actually launched first, in August 1977, but Voyager 1 was sent on a faster trajectory when it launched about two weeks later. They are the only two functioning spacecraft currently in interstellar space, beyond the environment controlled by the sun.

Voyager 2's path took it past Jupiter in 1979, Saturn in 1981, Uranus in 1985, and Neptune in 1989. It is the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus or Neptune, and has provided much of the information that we use to characterize them now.

Because of its higher speed and more direct trajectory, Voyager 1 overtook Voyager 2 just a few months after they launched. It visited Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1980. It overtook Pioneer 10 - the only other spacecraft in interstellar space thus far - in 1998 and is now the most distant artificial object from Earth.

How the Voyagers work

The two spacecraft are identical, each with a radio dish 3.7 meters (12 feet) across to transmit data back to Earth and a set of 16 thrusters to control their orientations and point their dishes toward Earth. The thrusters run on hydrazine fuel, but the electronic components of each spacecraft are powered by thermoelectric generators that run on plutonium. Each carries 11 scientific instruments, about half of which were designed just for observing planets and have now been shut off. The instruments that are now off include several cameras and spectrometers to examine the planets, as well as two radio-based experiments. Voyager 2 now has five functioning instruments: a magnetometer, a spectrometer designed to investigate plasmas, an instrument to measure low-energy charged particles and one for cosmic rays, and one that measures plasma waves. Voyager 1 only has four of those, as its plasma spectrometer is broken.

Jupiter findings

Over the course of their grand tours of the solar system, the Voyagers took tens of thousands of images and measurements that significantly changed our understanding of the outer planets.

At Jupiter, they gave us our first detailed ideas of how the planet's atmosphere moves and evolves, showing that the Great Red Spot was a counter-clockwise rotating storm that interacted with other, smaller storms. They were also the first missions to spot a faint, dusty ring around Jupiter. Finally, they observed some of Jupiter's moons, discovering Io's volcanism, finding the linear features on Europa that were among the first hints that it might have an ocean beneath its surface, and granting Ganymede the title of largest moon in the solar system, a superlative that was previously thought to belong to Saturn's moon Titan.

Saturn findings

Next, each spacecraft flew past Saturn, where they measured the composition and structure of Saturn's atmosphere, and Voyager 1 also peered into Titan's thick haze. Its observations led to the idea that Titan might have liquid hydrocarbons on its surface, a hypothesis that has since been verified by other missions. When the two missions observed Saturn's rings, they found the gaps and waves that are well-known today. Voyager 1 also spotted three previously-unknown moons orbiting Saturn: Atlas, Prometheus, and Pandora.

Uranus and Neptune findings

After this, Voyager 1 headed out of the solar system, while Voyager 2 headed toward Uranus. There, it found 11 previously-unknown moons and two previously-unknown rings. Many of the phenomena it observed on Uranus remained unexplained, such as its unusual magnetic field and an unexpected lack of major temperature changes at different latitudes.

Voyager 2's final stop, 12 years after it left Earth, was Neptune. When it arrived, it continued its streak of finding new moons with another haul of 6 small satellites, as well as finding rings around Neptune. As it did at Uranus, it observed the planet's composition and magnetic field. It also found volcanic vents on Neptune's huge moon Triton before it joined Voyager 1 on the way to interstellar space.

Interstellar space

Interstellar space begins at the heliopause, where the solar wind - a flow of charged particles released by the sun - is too weak to continue pushing against the interstellar medium, and the pressure from the two balances out. Voyager 1 officially entered interstellar space in August 2012, and Voyager 2 joined it in November 2018.

These exits were instrumental in enabling astronomers to determine where exactly the edge of interstellar space is, something that's difficult to measure from within the solar system. They showed that interstellar space begins just over 18 billion kilometers (about 11 billion miles) from the sun. The spacecraft continue to send back data on the structure of the interstellar medium.

After its planetary encounters, Voyager 1 took the iconic "Pale Blue Dot" image, showing Earth from about 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles) away. As of 2021, Voyager 1 is about 155 astronomical units (14.4 billion miles) from Earth, and Voyager 2 is nearly 129 astronomical units (12 billion miles) away.

The golden records

Each Voyager spacecraft has a golden phonograph record affixed to its side, intended as time capsules from Earth to any extraterrestrial life that might find the probes sometime in the distant future. They are inscribed with a message from Jimmy Carter, the U.S. President at the time of launch, which reads: "This is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours."

The covers of the records have several images inscribed, including visual instructions on how to play them, a map of our solar system's location with respect to a set of 14 pulsars, and a drawing of a hydrogen atom. They are plated with uranium - its rate of decay will allow any future discoverers of either of the records to calculate when they were created.

The records' contents were selected by a committee chaired by Carl Sagan. Each contains 115 images, including scientific diagrams of the solar system and its planets, the flora and fauna of Earth, and examples of human culture. There are natural sounds, including breaking surf and birdsong, spoken greetings in 55 languages, an hour of brainwave recordings, and an eclectic selection of music ranging from Beethoven to Chuck Berry to a variety of folk music.

Whether it's advocating, teaching, inspiring, or learning, you can do something for space, right now. Let's get to work.

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Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched in 1977 and made a grand tour of the solar system's outer planets. They are the only functioning spacecraft in interstellar space, and they are still sending back measurements of the interstellar medium.

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Astronaut Ed White floats in zero gravity of space off the coast of California during the Gemini IV mission.

Credit: NASA

On Oct. 4, 2007, the Space Age celebrated the 50th anniversary of the historic launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, by the former Soviet Union.

The space shot also launched the Space Race to the moon between the United States and the Soviet Union. But despite that turbulent beginning, the initial launch has led to five decades of triumphs and tragedies in space science and exploration.

Below is a timeline by Space News and SPACE.com chronicling the first 50 years of spaceflight. You are invited to walk through the half century of space exploration and click related links for more in depth information:

Sometime in the 11th century: China combines sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter (potassium nitrate) to make gunpowder, the first fuel used to propel early rockets in Chinese warfare.

July 4, 1054: Chinese astronomers observe the supernova in Taurus that formed the Crab Nebula.

Mid-1700s: Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysome in India, begins manufacturing rockets sheathed in iron, not cardboard or paper, to improve their range and stability.

March 16, 1926: Robert Goddard, sometimes referred to as the "Father of Modern Rocketry," launches the first successful liquid-fueled rocket.

July 17, 1929: Robert Goddard launches a rocket that carries with it the first set of scientific tools - a barometer and a camera - in Auburn, Mass. The launch was Goddard's fourth.

Feb. 18, 1930: The dwarf planet Pluto is discovered by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Oct. 3, 1942: Germany successfully test launches the first ballistic missile, the A4, more commonly known as the V-2, and later uses it near the end of European combat in World War II.

Sep. 29, 1945: Wernher von Braun arrives at Ft. Bliss, Texas, with six other German rocket specialists.

Oct. 14, 1947: American test pilot Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier for the first time in the X-1, also known as Glamorous Glennis.

Oct. 4, 1957: A modified R-7 two-stage ICBM launches the satellite Sputnik 1 from Tyuratam. The Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States begins.

Nov. 3, 1957: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2 with the first living passenger, the dog Laika, aboard.

Dec. 6, 1957: A Vanguard TV-3 carrying a grapefruit-sized satellite explodes at launch; a failed response to the Sputnik launch by the United States.

Jan. 31, 1958: Explorer 1, the first satellite with an onboard telemetry system, is launched by the United States into orbit aboard a Juno rocket and returns data from space.

Oct. 7, 1958: NASA Administrator T. Keith Glennan publicly announces NASA's manned spaceflight program along with the formation of the Space Task Group, a panel of scientist and engineers from space-policy organizations absorbed by NASA. The announcement came just six days after NASA was founded.

Jan. 2, 1959: The U.S.S.R. launches Luna 1, which misses the moon but becomes the first artificial object to leave Earth orbit.

Jan. 12, 1959: NASA awards McDonnell Corp. the contract to manufacture the Mercury capsules.

Feb. 28, 1959: NASA launches Discover 1, the U.S. first spy satellite, but it is not until the Aug. 11, 1960, launch of Discover 13 that film is recovered successfully.

May 28, 1959: The United States launches the first primates in space, Able and Baker, on a suborbital flight.

Aug. 7, 1959: NASA's Explorer 6 launches and provides the first photographs of the Earth from space.

Sept. 12, 1959: The Soviet Union's Luna 2 is launched and two days later is intentionally crashed into the Moon.

Sept. 17, 1959: NASA's X-15 hypersonic research plane, capable of speeds to Mach 6.7, makes its first powered flight.

Oct. 24, 1960: To rush the launch of a Mars probe before the Nov. 7 anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, Field Marshall Mitrofan Nedelin ignored several safety protocols and 126 people are killed when the R-16 ICBM explodes at the Baikonur Cosmodrome during launch preparations.

Feb. 12, 1961: The Soviet Union launches Venera to Venus, but the probe stops responding after a week.

April 12, 1961: Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space with a 108-minute flight on Vostok 1 in which he completed one orbit.

May 5, 1961: Mercury Freedom 7 launches on a Redstone rocket for a 15-minute suborbital flight, making Alan Shepard the first American in space.

May 25, 1961: In a speech before Congress, President John Kennedy announces that an American will land on the moon and be returned safely to Earth before the end of the decade.

Oct. 27, 1961: Saturn 1, the rocket for the initial Apollo missions, is tested for the first time.

Feb. 20, 1962: John Glenn makes the first U.S. manned orbital flight aboard Mercury 6.

June 7, 1962: Wernher von Braun backs the idea of a Lunar Orbit Rendezvous mission.

July 10, 1962: The United States launches Telstar 1, which enables the trans-Atlantic transmission of television signals.

June 14, 1962: Agreements are signed establishing the European Space Research Organisation and the European Launcher Development Organisation. Both eventually were dissolved.

July 28, 1962: The U.S.S.R launches its first successful spy satellite, designated Cosmos 7.

Aug. 27, 1962: Mariner 2 launches and eventually performs the first successful interplanetary flyby when it passes by Venus.

Sept. 29, 1962: Canada's Alouette 1 launches aboard a NASA Thor-Agena B rocket, becoming the first satellite from a country other than the United States or Soviet Union.

June 16, 1963: Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to fly into space.

July 28, 1964: Ranger 7 launches and is the Ranger series' first success, taking photographs of the moon until it crashes into its surface four days later.

April 8, 1964: Gemini 1, a two-seat spacecraft system, launches in an unmanned flight.

Aug. 19, 1964: NASA's Syncom 3 launches aboard a Thor-Delta rocket, becoming the first geostationary telecommunications satellite.

Oct. 12, 1964: The Soviet Union launches Voskhod 1, a modified Vostok orbiter with a three-person crew.

March 18, 1965: Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov makes the first spacewalk from the Voskhod 2 orbiter.

March 23, 1965: Gemini 3, the first of the manned Gemini missions, launches with a two-person crew on a Titan 2 rocket, making astronaut Gus Grissom the first man to travel in space twice.

June 3, 1965: Ed White, during the Gemini 4 mission, becomes the first American to walk in space.

July 14, 1965: Mariner 4 executes the first successful Mars flyby.

Aug. 21, 1965: Gemini 5 launches on an eight-day mission.

Dec. 15, 1965: Gemini 6 launches and performs a rendezvous with Gemini 7.

Jan. 14, 1966: The Soviet Union's chief designer, Sergei Korolev, dies from complications stemming from routine surgery, leaving the Soviet space program without its most influential leader of the preceding 20 years.

Feb. 3, 1966: The unmanned Soviet spacecraft Luna 9 makes the first soft landing on the Moon.

March 1, 1966: The Soviet Union's Venera 3 probe becomes the first spacecraft to land on the planetVenus, but its communications system failed before data could be returned.

March 16, 1966: Gemini 8 launches on a Titan 2 rocket and later docks with a previously launched Agena rocket - the first docking between two orbiting spacecraft.

April 3, 1966: The Soviet Luna 10 space probe enters lunar orbit, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon.

June 2, 1966: Surveyor 1, a lunar lander, performs the first successful U.S. soft landing on the Moon.

Jan. 27, 1967: All three astronauts for NASA's Apollo 1 mission suffocate from smoke inhalationin a cabin fire during a launch pad test.

April 5, 1967: A review board delivers a damning report to NASA Administrator James Webb about problem areas in the Apollo spacecraft. The recommended modifications are completed by Oct. 9, 1968.

April 23, 1967: Soyuz 1 launches but myriad problems surface. The solar panels do not unfold, there are stability problems and the parachute fails to open on descent causing the death of Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov.

Oct. 11, 1968: Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, launches on a Saturn 1 for an 11-day mission in Earth orbit. The mission also featured the first live TV broadcast of humans in space.

Dec. 21, 1968: Apollo 8 launches on a Saturn V and becomes the first manned mission to orbit the moon.

Jan. 16, 1969: Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 rendezvous and dock and perform the first in-orbit crew transfer.

March 3, 1969: Apollo 9 launches. During the mission, tests of the lunar module are conducted in Earth orbit.

May 22, 1969: Apollo 10's Lunar Module Snoopy comes within 8.6 miles (14 kilometers) of the moon's surface.

July 20, 1969: Six years after U.S. President John F. Kennedy's assassination, the Apollo 11 crew lands on the Moon, fulfilling his promise to put an American there by the end of the decade and return him safely to Earth.

Nov. 26, 1965: France launches its first satellite, Astérix, on a Diamant A rocket, becoming the third nation to do so.

Feb. 11, 1970: Japan's Lambda 4 rocket launches a Japanese test satellite, Ohsumi into orbit.

April 13, 1970: An explosion ruptures thecommand module of Apollo 13, days after launch and within reach of the moon. Abandoning the mission to save their lives, the astronauts climb into the Lunar Module and slingshot around the Moon to speed their return back to Earth.

April 24, 1970: The People's Republic of China launches its first satellite, Dong Fang Hong-1, on a Long March 1 rocket, becoming the fifth nation capable of launching its own satellites into space.

Sept. 12: 1970: The Soviet Union launches Luna 16, the first successful automated lunar sample retrieval mission.

April 19, 1971: A Proton rocket launches thefirst space station, Salyut 1, from Baikonur.

June 6, 1971: Soyuz 11 launches successfully, docking with Salyut 1. The three cosmonauts are killed during re-entry from a pressure leak in the cabin.

July 26, 1971: Apollo 15 launches with a Boeing-built Lunar Roving Vehicle and better life-support equipment to explore the Moon.

Oct. 28, 1971: The United Kingdom successfully launches its Prospero satellite into orbit on a Black Arrow rocket, becoming the sixth nation capable of launching its own satellites into space.

Nov. 13, 1971: Mariner 9 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit Mars and provides the first complete map of the planet's surface.

Jan. 5, 1972: U.S. President Richard Nixon announces that NASA is developing a reusable launch vehicle, the space shuttle.

March 3, 1972: Pioneer 10, the first spacecraft to leave the solar system, launches from Cape Kennedy, Fla.

Dec. 19, 1972: Apollo 17, the last mission to the moon, returns to Earth.

May 14, 1973: A Saturn V rocket launches Skylab, the United States' first space station.

March 29, 1974: Mariner 10 becomes the first spacecraft to fly by Mercury.

April 19, 1975: The Soviet Union launches India's first satellite, Aryabhata.

May 31, 1975: The European Space Agency is formed.

July 17 1975: Soyuz-19 and Apollo 18 dock.

Aug. 9, 1975: ESA launches its first satellite, Cos-B, aboard a Thor-Delta rocket.

Sept. 9, 1975: Viking 2, composed of a lander and an orbiter, launches for Mars.

July 20, 1976: The U.S. Viking 1 lands on Mars, becoming the first successful Mars lander.

Aug. 20, 1977: Voyager 2 is launched on a course toward Uranus and Neptune.

Sept. 5, 1977: Voyager 1 is launched to perform flybys of Jupiter and Saturn.

Sept. 29, 1977: Salyut 6 reaches orbit. It is the first space station equipped with docking stations on either end, which allow for two vehicles to dock at once, including the Progress supply ship.

Feb. 22, 1978: The first GPS satellite, Navstar 1, launches aboard an Atlas F rocket.

July 11, 1979: Skylab, the first American space station, crashes back to Earth in the sparsely populated grasslands of western Australia.

Sept. 1, 1979: Pioneer 11 becomes the first spacecraft to fly past Saturn.

Dec. 24, 1979: The French-built Ariane rocket, Europe's first launch vehicle, launches successfully.

July 18 1980: India launches its Rohini 1 satellite. By using its domestically developed SLV-3 rocket, India becomes the seventh nation capable of sending objects into space by itself.

April 12, 1981: Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from Cape Canaveral, beginning the first space mission for NASA's new astronaut transportation system.

June 24, 1982: French air force test pilot Jean-Loup Chrétien launches to the Soviet Union's Salyut 7 aboard Soyuz T-6.

Nov. 11, 1982: Shuttle Columbia launches. During its mission, it deploys two commercial communications satellites.

June 18, 1983: Sally Ride aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger becomes the first American woman in space.

Feb. 7, 1984: Astronauts Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart maneuver as many as 328 feet (100 meters) from the Space Shuttle Challenger using the Manned Maneuvering Unit, which contains small thrusters, in the first ever untethered spacewalks.

April 8, 1984: Challenger crew repairs the Solar Max satellite during a spacewalk.

Sept. 11: 1985: The International Cometary Explorer, launched by NASA in 1978, performs the first comet flyby.

Jan. 24, 1986: Voyager 2 completes the first and only spacecraft flyby of Uranus.

Jan. 28, 1986: Challenger explodes 73 seconds after launch, grounding the shuttle fleet for more than two years.

Feb. 20, 1986: The Soviet Union launches theMir space station.

March 13, 1986: A two-cosmonaut crew launches aboard Soyuz T-15 to power up the Mir space station. During their 18-month mission, they also revive the abandoned Salyut 7, and take parts that are later placed aboard Mir.

June 15, 1988: PanAmSat launches its first satellite, PanAmSat 1, on an Ariane 4 rocket, giving Intelsat its first taste of competition.

Sept. 19, 1988: Israel launches its first satellite, the Ofeq 1 reconnaissance probe, aboard an Israeli Shavit rocket.

Nov. 15, 1988: The Soviet Union launches its Buran space shuttle on its only flight, an unpiloted test.

May 4, 1989: The Space Shuttle Atlantis launches the Magellan space probe to use radar to map the surface of Venus.

Oct. 18, 1989: Shuttle Atlantis launches with Jupiter-bound Galileo space probe on board.

April 7, 1990: China launches the Asiasat-1 communications satellite, completing its first commercial contract.

April 25, 1990: The Space Shuttle Discovery releases the Hubble Space Telescope into Earth orbit.

Oct. 29, 1991: The U.S. Galileo spacecraft, on its way to Jupiter, successfully encounters the asteroid Gaspra, obtaining images and other data during its flyby.

April 23, 1992: The U.S. Cosmic Background Explorer spacecraft detects the first evidence of structure in the residual radiation left over from the Big Bang that created the Universe.

Dec. 28, 1992: Lockheed and Khrunichev Enterprise announce plans to form Lockheed-Khrunichev-Energia International, a new company to market Proton rockets.

June 21, 1993: Shuttle Endeavour launches carrying Spacehab, a privately owned laboratory that sits in the shuttle cargo bay.

Dec. 2, 1993: Endeavour launches on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

Dec. 17, 1993: DirecTV launches its first satellite, DirecTV 1, aboard an Ariane 4 rocket.

Feb. 7, 1994: The first Milstar secure communications satellite launches. The geosynchronous satellites are used by battlefield commanders and for strategic communications.

Oct. 15, 1994: India launches its four-stage PolarSatellite Launch Vehicle for the first time.

Jan. 26, 1995: A Chinese Long March rocket carrying the Hughes-built Apstar-1 rocket fails. The accident investigation, along with the probe of a subsequent Long March failure that destroyed an Intelsat satellite, leads to technology-transfer allegations that ultimately result in the U.S. government barring launches of American-built satellites on Chinese rockets.

Feb. 3, 1995: The Space Shuttle Discovery launches anddocks with the Mir space station.

March 15, 1995: Aerospace giants Lockheed Corp. and Martin Marietta Corp. merge.

July 13, 1995: Galileo releases its space probe, which is bound for Jupiter and its moons.

Aug. 7, 1996: NASA and Stanford University researchers announce a paper contending that a 4-billion-year-old Martian meteorite, called ALH 84001, found in Antarctica in 1984, contains fossilized traces of carbonate materials that suggest primitive life might once have existed on Mars. That contention remains controversial.

May 5, 1997: Satellite mobile phone company Iridium launches its first five satellites on a Delta 2 rocket.

June 25 1997: An unmanned Russian Progress supply spacecraft collides with the Mir space station.

July 4, 1997: The Mars Pathfinder lander and its accompanying Sojourner rover touch down on the surface of Mars.

Aug. 1, 1997: The Boeing Co. and the McDonnell Douglas Corp. merge, keeping Boeing's name.

Feb. 14, 1998: Globalstar, a satellite mobile telephone company, launches its first four satellites on a Delta 2 rocket.

Sept. 9, 1998: A Russian Zenit 2 rocket launches and subsequently crashes, destroying all 12 Loral-built Globalstar satellites aboard. The payload had an estimated value of about $180 million.

Nov. 20, 1998: Russia's Zarya control module, the first segment of the International Space Station, launches into space and unfurls its solar arrays.

March 27, 1999: Sea Launch Co. launches a demonstration satellite, successfully completing its first launch.

July 23, 1999: The Chandra X-ray observatory, NASA's flagship mission for X-ray astronomy, launches aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Aug. 13, 1999: Iridium files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, after being unable to pay its creditors. Iridium Satellite LLC later acquired the original Iridium's assets from bankruptcy.

Nov. 19, 1999: China successfully test launches the unmanned Shenzhou 1.

July 10, 2000: Europe's largest aerospace company, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., EADS, forms with the consolidation of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG of Munich, Aerospatiale Matra S.A. of Paris, and Construcciones Aeronáuticas S.A. of Madrid.

March 18, 2001: After launch delays with XM-1, XM Satellite Radio's XM-2 satellite becomes the company's first satellite in orbit when it is launched by Sea Launch Co.

March 23, 2001: After being mothballed in 1999, Mir descends into the Earth's atmosphere and breaks up over the Pacific Ocean.

May 6, 2001: U.S. entrepreneur Dennis Tito returns to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to become the world's first paying tourist to visit the International Space Station.

Aug. 29, 2001: Japan's workhorse launch system, the two-stage H-2A rocket, launches for the first time.

Feb. 15, 2002: After having trouble selling its satellite mobile phone service, Globalstar voluntarily files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from escalating creditor debt. The company emerged from bankruptcy April 14, 2004.

Feb. 1, 2003: The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere, killing the crew. Damage from insulating foam hitting the orbiter's leading wing on liftoff is later cited as the cause of the accident.

Aug 22, 2003: The VLS-V03, a Brazilian prototype rocket, explodes on the launch pad at Alcántara killing 21 people.

Aug. 25, 2003: NASA launches the Spitzer Space Telescope aboard a Delta rocket.

Oct. 1, 2003: Japan's two space agencies, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science and the National Space Development Agency of Japan, merge into the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Oct. 15, 2003: Yang Liwei becomes China's first taikonaut, having launched aboard Shenzhou 5.

Jan. 4, 2004: The first Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, lands on Mars. Its twin, Opportunity lands Jan. 25.

Jan. 14, 2004: President George W. Bush advocates space exploration missions to the moon and Mars for NASA in his Vision for Space Exploration speech.

Sept. 20, 2004: India launches its three-stage Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle for the first time.

Oct. 4, 2004: Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne piloted craft wins the X Prize by flying over 100 kilometers above Earth twice within two weeks.

July 26, 2005: Discovery becomes the first shuttle to launch since the Columbia disaster more than two years before. While the crew returned safely, the loss of several pieces of foam debris prompted further investigation, which delayed future shuttle missions.

Oct. 12, 2005: A two-taikonaut crew launches aboard the Chinese Shenzhou 6.

Oct 19, 2005: The last of the Martin Marietta-built Titan 4 heavy-lift rockets launches.

Jan. 19, 2006: New Horizons, NASA's first-ever mission to the dwarf planet Pluto and its moons, launches atop an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Flies past Jupiter one year later in what is billed as NASA's fastest mission to date.

July 3, 2006: Intelsat acquires fellow fixed satellite service provider PanAmSat for $6.4 billion.

July 4, 2006: NASA's second post-Columbia accident test flight, STS-121 aboard Discovery, begins a successful space station-bound mission, returning the U.S. orbiter fleet to flight status.

Sept. 9., 2006: NASA resumes construction of the International Space Station with the launch of the shuttle Atlantis on STS-115 after two successful return to flight test missions. Atlantis' launch occurs after nearly four years without a station construction flight.

Oct. 11, 2006: Lockheed Martin completes the sale of its majority share in International Launch Services to Space Transport Inc. for $60 million.

Jan. 11, 2007: China downs one of its weather satellites, Fengyun-1C, with a ground launched missile. In doing so, China joins Russia and the United States as the only nations to have successfully tested anti-satellite weapons.

April 6, 2007: The European Commission approves the acquisition of French-Italian Alcatel Alenia by Paris-based Thales, thus creating satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space.?

Aug. 8, 2007: NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour launches toward the International Space Station on the STS-118 construction mission. The shuttle crew includes teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan, NASA's first educator spaceflyer, who originally served backup for the first Teacher-in-Space Christa McAuliffe who was lost with six crewmates during the 1986 Challenger accident.

Sept. 27, 2007: Dawn, the first ion-powered probe to visit two celestial bodies in one go, launches on an eight-year mission to the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres, the two largest space rocks in the solar system.

Oct. 1, 2007: NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the first female commander of the International Space Station, prepares for an Oct. 10 launch with her Expedition 16 crewmate Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysia's first astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. Whitson, and NASA's second female shuttle commander Pamela Melroy, will command a joint space station construction mission in late October.

Oct. 4, 2007: The Space Age turns 50, five decades after the historic launch of Sputnik 1.

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On Oct. 4, 2007, the Space Age celebrated the 50th anniversary of the historic launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, by the former Soviet Union. The space shot also launched the Space Race to the moon between the United States and the Soviet Union.

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Date

February 1, 2003; 19 years ago

Time

08:59 EST (13:59 UTC)

Location

Over Texas and Louisiana

Cause

Wing damage from debris

Outcome

Shuttles grounded for 29 months

Deaths

Inquiries

Columbia Investigation Board

The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred when Space Shuttle Columbia broke up when it was reentering the atmosphere on February 1, 2003. The cause of the disaster was that a piece of foam broke from the external fuel tank. This made a hole in the shuttle's wing. During its entry, hot gases entered the wing, causing it to break up. All of the people on board died when it broke up.

Parts of Columbia were found across the state of Texas. The cockpit window is now inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis Pavilion at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Related pages

Images for kids

Close-up of the left bipod foam ramp that broke off and damaged the shuttle wing

Columbia at about 08:57. Debris is visible coming from the left wing (bottom). The image was taken at Starfire Optical Range at Kirtland Air Force Base.

A grid on the floor is used to organize recovered debris

The glow of reentry as seen out of the front windows

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Space Shuttle Columbia disaster Facts for Kids

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Date February 1, 2003; 19 years ago Time 08:59 EST (13:59 UTC) Location Over Texas and Louisiana Cause Wing damage from debris Outcome Shuttles grounded for 29 months Deaths Inquiries Columbia Investigation Board The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred when Space Shuttle Columbia broke up when it was reentering the atmosphere on February 1, 2003.

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From Academic Kids

STS-107 was a space shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Columbia. Mission STS-107 was launched on January 16, 2003. The shuttle disintegrated over Texas during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, with the loss of the entire seven member crew, on February 1, 2003. This was the second total loss of a Space Shuttle, the first being Challenger (see STS-51-L for details on that disaster).

Crew

Debris strike during launch

STS-107 had been delayed 13 times over the course of two years (despite its designation as the 107th mission, it was actually the 113th mission) from its original launch date of 11 January 2001 to its actual launch date of 16 January, 2003. A well-publicized launch delay due to cracks in the shuttle's propellant system occurred one month before a 19 July, 2002 launch date, but the CAIB determined that this delay had nothing to do with the catastrophic failure 6 months later.

Video taken during ( lift-off was routinely reviewed two hours after the launch, which revealed nothing unusual. The following day, higher-resolution film that had been processed overnight revealed that a piece of insulation foam fell from an external fuel tank 81.9 seconds after launch and appeared to strike the shuttle's left wing near RCC panels 5 through 9. Soon after, there were three separate requests for in-orbit imaging to more precisely determine damage. According to the CAIB report, the Mission Management Team declared the debris strike a "turnaround" issue and did not pursue a request for imagery [1]http://anon.nasa-global.speedera.net/anon.nasa-global/CAIB/CAIB_lowres_full.pdf).

Destruction during re-entry

At 2:30 a.m. EST on February 1, 2003, the Entry Flight Control Team began duty in the Mission Control Center. The Flight Control Team was not working any issues or problems related to the planned de-orbit and re-entry of Columbia. In particular, the team indicated no concerns about the debris impact to the left wing during ascent, and treated the re-entry like any other. The team worked through the de-orbit preparation checklist and re-entry checklist procedures. Weather forecasters, with the help of pilots in the Shuttle Training Aircraft, evaluated landing site weather conditions at the Kennedy Space Center. At the time of the de-orbit decision, about 20 minutes before the initiation of the de-orbit burn, all weather observations and forecasts were within guidelines set by the flight rules, and all systems were normal.

Shortly after 8:00 a.m., the Mission Control Center Entry Flight Director polled the Mission Control room for a GO/NO-GO decision for the de-orbit burn, and at 8:10 a.m., the Capsule Communicator notified the crew they were GO for de-orbit burn.

As the Orbiter flew upside down and tail-first over the Indian Ocean at an altitude of 175 statute miles, Commander Husband and Pilot McCool executed the de-orbit burn at 8:15:30 a.m. using Columbia's two Orbital Maneuvering System engines. The de-orbit maneuver was performed on the 255th orbit, and the 2-minute, 38-second burn slowed the Orbiter from 17,500 mph to begin its re-entry into the atmosphere. During the de-orbit burn, the crew felt about 10 percent of the effects of gravity. There were no problems during the burn, after which Husband maneuvered Columbia into a right-side-up, forward-facing position, with the Orbiter's nose pitched up.

Entry Interface, arbitrarily defined as the point at which the Orbiter enters the discernible atmosphere at 400,000 feet, occurred at 8:44:09 a.m. (Entry Interface plus 000 seconds, written EI+000) over the Pacific Ocean. As Columbia descended from space into the atmosphere, the heat produced by air molecules colliding with the Orbiter typically caused wing leading-edge temperatures to rise steadily, reaching an estimated 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit during the next six minutes. As superheated air molecules discharged light, astronauts on the flight deck saw bright flashes envelop the Orbiter, a normal phenomenon.

At 8:48:39 a.m. (EI+270), a sensor on the left wing leading edge spar showed strains higher than those seen on previous Columbia re-entries. This was recorded only on the Modular Auxiliary Data System, and was not telemetered to ground controllers or displayed to the crew.

At 8:49:32 a.m. (EI+323), traveling at approximately Mach 24.5, Columbia executed a roll to the right, beginning a pre-planned banking turn to manage lift, and therefore limit the Orbiter's rate of descent and heating.

At 8:50:53 a.m. (EI+404), traveling at Mach 24.1 and at approximately 243,000 feet, Columbia entered a 10-minute period of peak heating, during which the thermal stresses were at their maximum. By 8:52:00 a.m. (EI+471), nearly eight minutes after entering the atmosphere and some 300 miles west of the California coastline, the wing leading-edge temperatures usually reached 2,650 degrees Fahrenheit. Columbia crossed the California coast west of Sacramento at 8:53:26 a.m. (EI+557). Traveling at Mach 23 and 231,600 feet, the Orbiter's wing leading edge typically reached more than an estimated 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now crossing California, the Orbiter appeared to observers on the ground as a bright spot of light moving rapidly across the sky. Signs of debris being shed were sighted at 8:53:46 a.m. (EI+577), when the superheated air surrounding the Orbiter suddenly brightened, causing a noticeable streak in the Orbiter's luminescent trail. Observers witnessed another four similar events during the following 23 seconds, and a bright flash just seconds after Columbia crossed from California into Nevada airspace at 8:54:25 a.m. (EI+614), when the Orbiter was traveling at Mach 22.5 and 227,400 feet. Witnesses observed another 18 similar events in the next four minutes as Columbia streaked over Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

In Mission Control, re-entry appeared normal until 8:54:24 a.m. (EI+613), when the Maintenance, Mechanical, and Crew Systems (MMACS) officer informed the Flight Director that four hydraulic sensors in the left wing were indicating "off-scale low," a reading that falls below the minimum capability of the sensor. As the seconds passed, the Entry Team continued to discuss the four failed indicators.

At 8:55:00 a.m. (EI+651), nearly 11 minutes after Columbia had re-entered the atmosphere, wing leading edge temperatures normally reached nearly 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. At 8:55:32 a.m. (EI+683), Columbia crossed from Nevada into Utah while traveling at Mach 21.8 and 223,400 ft. Twenty seconds later, the Orbiter crossed from Utah into Arizona.

At 8:56:30 a.m. (EI+741), Columbia initiated a roll reversal, turning from right to left over Arizona. Traveling at Mach 20.9 and 219,000 feet, Columbia crossed the Arizona-New Mexico state line at 8:56:45 (EI+756), and passed just north of Albuquerque at 8:57:24 (EI+795).

Around 8:58:00 a.m. (EI+831), wing leading edge temperatures typically decreased to 2,880 degrees Fahrenheit. At 8:58:20 a.m. (EI+851), traveling at 209,800 feet and Mach 19.5, Columbia crossed from New Mexico into Texas, and about this time shed a Thermal Protection System tile, which was the most westerly piece of debris that has been recovered. Searchers found the tile in a field in Littlefield, Texas, just northwest of Lubbock. At 8:59:15 a.m. (EI+906), MMACS informed the Flight Director that pressure readings had been lost on both left main landing gear tires. The Flight Director then told the Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) to let the crew know that Mission Control saw the messages and was evaluating the indications, and added that the Flight Control Team did not understand the crew's last transmission.

At 8:59:32 a.m. (EI+923), a broken response from the mission commander was recorded: "Roger, uh, bu - [cut off in mid-word] ..." It was the last communication from the crew and the last telemetry signal received in Mission Control. Videos made by observers on the ground at 9:00:18 a.m. (EI+969) revealed that the Orbiter was disintegrating.

At about 9:05 (14:05 UTC), residents of north central Texas reported a loud boom, a small concussion wave and smoke trails and debris in the clear skies above the counties southeast of Dallas. More than 2,000 debris fields, as well as human remains, were found in sparsely populated areas southeast of Dallas from Nacogdoches in East Texas, where a lot of debris fell, to western Louisiana and the southwestern counties of Arkansas. This debris included live earthworms from a science package that survived the re-entry. NASA issued warnings to the public that any debris could contain hazardous chemicals, that it should be left untouched, its location reported to local emergency services, or government authorities and that anyone in unauthorized possession of debris would be prosecuted.

Shortly after being told of reports of pieces of the shuttle being seen to break away, the NASA flight director declared a contingency (events leading to loss of the vehicle) and alerted search and rescue teams in the area, telling all controllers to "lock the doors" or preserve all the mission data for later investigation.

Response from the President

At 14:04 EST (19:04 UTC), a somber President Bush addressed America: "This day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country... The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors." Despite the major setback, the President reassured Americans that the space program would continue: "The cause in which they died will continue... Our journey into space will go on."

Initial investigation and fears

NASA's Space Shuttle Program Manager, Ron Dittemore, reported that "The first indication was loss of temperature sensors and hydraulic systems on the left wing. They were followed seconds and minutes later by several other problems, including loss of tire pressure indications on the left main gear and then indications of excessive structural heating." Analysis of 31 seconds of telemetry data which had initially been filtered out because of data corruption within it showed the shuttle fighting to maintain its orientation, eventually using maximum thrust from its reaction control system jets.

The focus of the investigation centered on the foam strike from the very beginning. Incidents of debris strikes causing damage during take-off were already well known and had actually damaged space shuttles, specifically during ( STS-45 and STS-27. [2]http://csel.eng.ohio-state.edu/woods/space/Create%20foresight%20Col-draft.pdf)

Despite some initial and perhaps understandable fears that the addition of the first ( Israeli astronaut to the crew had made the Columbia a more likely target for terrorists, there is no evidence to support any theory that terrorism was involved. In any case, security surrounding the launch and landing of the space shuttle had been increased to ward off any potential terrorist attack[3]http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/02/01/shuttle.israel.reax/). The Cape Canaveral launch facility, like all sensitive government areas, had increased security measures put in place in the wake of the September 11 attack. In addition, the extremely high altitude of the shuttle when the incident occurred ruled out all but the most sophisticated of terrorists. Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the United States Department of Homeland Security, stated: "There is no information at this time that this was a terrorist incident."

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board

Following protocols established after the loss of Challenger an independent investigating board was created immediately following the accident. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board, or CAIB, consisted of expert military and civilian analysts who investigated the accident in great detail.

Columbia's data recorder was found near Hemphill, Texas on March 20, 2003. Because Columbia was more of a test vehicle than the other orbiters, the data recorder contained very extensive logs of structural and other data which allowed the CAIB to reconstruct many of the events during the process leading to breakup, often using the loss of signals from sensors on the wing to track how the damage progressed. This was correlated with analysis of debris and tests to obtain a final conclusion about the probable events.

NASA officials released experimental findings on May 30 proving that the insulation known to have hit the leading edge of Columbia's left wing could have created a gap between protective RCC panels. The findings showed that a joint, known as a T-seal, shifted after being hit with foam insulation traveling at the same speed the actual foam was traveling when it hit the left wing. The gap was small, 0.6 cm × 55 cm, but some researchers not on the investigation team have stated that a gap of that size was sufficiently large to act as a catalyst for further widening during re-entry. On June 24, the investigators more confidently declared the flyaway foam to be "the most probable cause" of the wing damage.

On August 26, the CAIB issued its report on the accident. The board report confirmed the immediate cause of the accident as a breach in the leading edge of the left wing, caused by insulating foam shed during launch. The report also delved deeply into the underlying organizational and cultural issues that led to the accident. The report was highly critical of NASA's decision-making and risk-assessment processes, to the point of concluding that whoever was in the key decision-making positions, the systems and roles were arranged so that safety compromise could be expected. This included the position of Shuttle Program Manager, a role in which one individual was responsible for achieving safety, timely launches and acceptable costs, each a goal conflicting with the others. It found that NASA had institutionally accepted deviations from design criteria as normal when they happened on several flights and did not lead to fatal consequences. One of those was the conflict between a design specification saying that the heat shielding system did not need to withstand impact damage and the common occurrence of impact damage to it during flight. The board made recommendations for significant changes in processes and culture.

In late July 2003, an Associated Press poll revealed that Americans' support for the space program remained strong, despite the tragedy. Two-thirds believed the space shuttle should continue to fly and nearly three-quarters said that the space program was a good investment. On the question of sending humans to Mars, 49 percent thought it was a good idea, while 42 percent opposed it. Support slipped for sending civilians like teachers into space with 56 percent supporting the idea and 38 percent opposed.

The "mysterious purple streak"

The ( (San Francisco Chronicle reported on February 5, 2003, that an unnamed amateur San Francisco astronomer had imaged Columbia with a Nikon 880 digital camera at around the time the shuttle first started showing indications of trouble, at an altitude of some 40 miles. The Chronicle reported that "in the critical shot, a glowing purple rope of light corkscrews down toward the plasma trail, appears to pass behind it, then cuts sharply toward it from below. As it merges with the plasma trail [produced by the shuttle], the streak itself brightens for a distance, then fades." [4]http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/02/11/MN150539.DTL) The camera in question was sent to Houston for further investigation by NASA. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board subsequently concluded that this was an artifact caused by a faulty camera. Nikon has said that the model of camera used is known to occasionally produce a purple fringe on photographs as a result of "color interpolation combined with chromatic aberration", an effect that has been reproduced by independent reviewers [5]http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30904). Purple fringing, a result of the optical phenomenon of chromatic aberration, is a problem with many types of digital camera and not just the Nikon 880.

It has also been proposed that this streak may have been a bolt of positive lightning; NASA and other scientists have discounted this possibility.

Conspiracy theories

Some conspiracy theorists have suggested that the ( United States Air Force shot the craft down with a laser (accidentally or deliberately). This explanation has attracted little mainstream support and is generally regarded as a fringe conspiracy theory. It would also not explain the image captured by the San Francisco astronomer, as the beam of the high-energy Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) system used by the Air Force operates at the infrared wavelength and so is not visible to the human eye. [6]http://optics.org/articles/ole/9/3/2/1)

Close-up photographs have been made of the Soviet space shuttle Buran after its single successful, unmanned obital flight. These 1988 photos show rather extensive damage to the wing's leading edge. Critics argue the Columbia could not have been destroyed due to RCC tile damage, as Buran, which was of similar design, survived.

Memorials

On ( February 4, 2003, President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, led a memorial service at the LBJ Space Center, which was intended for the NASA family, for the families of the loved ones of the astronauts. The service which was meant for the nation came two days later, when Vice-President Richard Cheney and his wife, Lynne, led official Washington in paying tribute at a similar service at Washington National Cathedral. During that service, singer Patti LaBelle sang "Way up There." [7]http://media.cathedral.org/ColumbiaDSL.wmv)

On March 26 the United States House of Representatives' Science Committee approved funds for the construction of a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery for the STS-107 crew. A similar memorial was built at the cemetery for the last crew of Space Shuttle Challenger.

On ( August 6, 2003, NASA announced [8]http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2003/aug/HQ_03259_astroids_dedicated.html) that the IAU had approved naming seven asteroids discovered in July 2001 at the Mount Palomar observatory in honor of the seven astronauts: 51823 Rickhusband, 51824 Mikeanderson, 51825 Davidbrown, 51826 Kalpanachawla, 51827 Laurelclark, 51828 Ilanramon, 51829 Williemccool.

A mountain peak near Kit Carson Peak in the Sangre de Cristo mountains was renamed Columbia Point. A dedication plaque was placed on the point in August, 2003.

On October 28, 2003, the names of the astronauts were added to the Astronaut Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

On January 6, 2004, NASA announced that the landing site of the recently landed Mars rover would henceforth be known as Columbia Memorial Station. On February 2, it was also announced that NASA was naming a complex of hills east of the landers 'The Columbia Hills', after the crew of Columbia.

Political aftermath for the space program

Following the loss of Columbia, the space shuttle program was suspended. The expansion of International Space Station was also delayed, as the space shuttles were the delivery vehicle for station modules. The station was supplied and crews exchanged using Russian manned Soyuz spacecraft and unmanned ships.

Less than a year later, Bush announced the ( Vision for Space Exploration, calling for the retirement of the space shuttle fleet following the completion of the International Space Station and the development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle. NASA planned to return the space shuttle to service around September 2004. That date has since been pushed back to July 2005 (see NASA's Return To Flight page http://www.nasa.gov/news/highlights/returntoflight.html) for current details).

See also

External links

de:Columbia (Raumfähre)he:אסון הקולומביה pt:Acidente do vaivém espacial Columbia

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STS-107 was a space shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Columbia . Mission STS-107 was launched on January 16, 2003. The shuttle disintegrated over Texas during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, with the loss of the entire seven member crew, on February 1, 2003.

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US History: Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster for Kids

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Kids learn about the Space Shuttle Challenger crash including the shuttle before the disaster, issues before the launch, what went wrong, the crew, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, and the aftermath. Educational article for students, schools, and teachers.

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Space Shuttle Columbia disaster Facts for Kids | KidzSearch.com

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Final launch of Columbia - the part that broke off the fuel tank can be seen as a light triangle by the nose of the Shuttle

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The space shuttle Challenger - during its 10th launch - on Jan. 28, 1986, exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crewmembers and changing NASA's space program forever.

Challenger was the second shuttle to reach space, in April 1983. It successfully completed nine milestone missions during nearly three years of service. In total, the spacecraft spent 62 days, 7 hours, 56 minutes and 22 seconds in space, according to CBS.

Challenger hosted the first spacewalk of the space shuttle program on April 7, 1983, and carried the first American female and first black astronauts.

More: Remembering Challenger: NASA's 1st Shuttle Tragedy in Photos

From test vehicle to space vehicle

NASA originally intended Challenger to be a test vehicle, according to the Kennedy Space Center. Rockwell International, an aerospace manufacturing company, began building the shuttle in November 1975 and then sent it to Lockheed Martin, another aerospace technology company, for structural testing starting on April 2, 1978, according to Reference for Business, an educational business site. According to a statement by NASA, computer models at the time were not sophisticated enough to calculate the stresses on the shuttle during different phases of flight.

Space Shuttle Challenger: Key facts

First Flight: April 4-9, 1983

Last Flight: January 28, 1986

Number of Missions: 10

Time in Space: 1,496 Hours

The shuttle, then known as STA-099, went through 11 months of vibration testing in a specially formulated rig, NASA said. This custom-designed machine could bring the shuttle through a simulation of all phases of flight, from liftoff to landing. Three hydraulic cylinders, each with 1 million lbs. of force, were used as substitute space shuttle main engines.

In 1979, NASA awarded Rockwell International a supplemental contract to convert the test vehicle to a spacecraft. This would expand the shuttle fleet to two spacecraft, with Columbia being the first, though this would similarly end in disaster.

It took two more years for Rockwell to perform the conversion. Among other things, workers had to strengthen the wings, put in a real crew cabin instead of a simulated one and install heads-up displays for the astronauts working inside. Work was completed on Oct. 23, 1981, according to NASA.

Delays for the first flight

Challenger was expected to go into space on Jan. 20, 1983, to release the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS), which later became part of a series of satellites that astronauts used to stay in touch with controllers back home. But several technical malfunctions pushed the launch back.

First, NASA discovered a hydrogen leak in the No. 1 main engine aft compartment during a flight readiness test in December, according to Science.ksc. In a second test on Jan. 25, 1983, NASA discovered cracks in the engine that were causing the leak.

The agency then took several months to remove the engines and test them. While engines No. 2 and No. 3 were deemed healthy, NASA replaced engine No. 1, according to The New York Times.

After another delay due to a problem with the TDRS, Challenger launched successfully on April 4, 1983, on mission STS-6. Crewmembers set the satellite free. Astronauts Story Musgrave and Donald Peterson executed the first spacewalk of the shuttle program.

Cultural and technical firsts

(Image credit: Nasa)

In addition to milestones in space technology, Challenger was also host to several cultural firsts in the space shuttle program. The first American female astronaut, Sally Ride, rode up on Challenger on STS-7 in June 1983. The first black astronaut, Guion Bluford, reached space on STS-8.

On STS-41G in 1984, two women - Ride and Kathryn Sullivan - flew on one mission for the first time - as well as the first Canadian, Marc Garneau.

Challenger reached other milestones, too, including the first night launch and landing (STS-8) and the first operational Spacelab flight (STS-51B). Spacelab was a European space laboratory that fit into a shuttle's cargo bay and included several experiments designed for tests in microgravity. It flew on Columbia on STS-9 for the first time, but Challenger's mission is considered the first working one.

The flying repairman

(Image credit: Nasa)

Some of Challenger's most memorable moments took place in April 1984, on STS-41C. That mission featured the very first astronaut repair of a satellite.

To get at the nonfunctional Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite, astronaut George Nelson strapped himself into the Manned Maneuvering Unit, which was a jet-powered backpack designed for astronauts to fly in space. It had been tested on only one mission before this one.

The crew maneuvered Challenger until it was only 200 feet from the satellite, according to the Life Sciences Data Archive. Then, Nelson carefully left the safety of the shuttle and flew over to the satellite. A fixture on the front of his backpack let Nelson dock with the satellite, which was slowly tumbling in space, according to an article by NASA.

Next, he fired the jets on his backpack to stop the satellite's spin. Crewmembers on Challenger then reached out with the shuttle's Canadarm robotic arm and plucked the satellite out of empty space and into the payload bay.

Nelson and crewmate James "Ox" Van Hoften repaired the satellite, then the crew lofted the satellite back into space, according to The New York Times. SMM continued functioning for several years, then burned up in the atmosphere in December 1989.

Challenger disaster

(Image credit: Nasa)

It was a cold morning on Jan. 28, 1986, when Challenger was scheduled to fly its 10th mission, according to Weather.com. Temperatures dipped below freezing and some of the shuttle's engineers were concerned about the integrity of the seals on the solid rocket boosters in such low temperatures.

Nonetheless, Challenger launched at 11:38 a.m. Eastern time in front of more media attention than usual, since it was carrying the first teacher to go into space, NASA said. Christa McAuliffe was planning to give lessons while in orbit.

But McAuliffe and the rest of the crew never made it. In full view of the television cameras, Challenger broke up 73 seconds after launch.

Mission Commander: Francis Scobee

Pilot: Michael Smith

Mission Specialist: Judith Resnik

Mission Specialist: Ronald McNair

Payload Specialist: Gregory Jarvis

"Flight controllers here are looking very carefully at the situation. Obviously a major malfunction," the NASA launch commentator said, as pieces of the shuttle fell from the sky into the Atlantic.

Salvage crews spent several weeks recovering pieces of the shuttle and carefully bringing up the remains of the seven astronauts. Remains that could be identified were turned over to the families, while the rest were buried in a monument to the Challenger crew at Arlington National Cemetery on May 20, 1986, according to Arlington's official site.

Culture of work and technical problems at NASA

(Image credit: Nasa)

The commission report talked about the technical causes of the accident. The entire failure could be traced to an O-ring, a rubber seal on the solid rocket boosters (according to Nasa Technical Reports Server) that degraded in the cold weather of the launch.

Read more: The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster: What Happened? (Infographic)

But the O-ring would not have been a problem had NASA not chosen to launch on so cold a day -- the coldest launch yet, according to an NPR interview with one of the shuttle engineers. While the engineer blames himself for not convincing NASA and high-level managers of the danger the cold presented, a US House of Representatives report from the Committee on Science and Technology concluded that it was a long-standing failure in safety protocols, combined with an unsustainable launch rate that led to the disaster.

In the wake of what happened with Challenger, NASA made technical changes to the shuttle and also worked to change the safety and accountability culture of its workforce. The shuttle program resumed flights in 1988, according to a piece by NASA.

After the Challenger wreckage was examined, most of the pieces were buried and sealed in abandoned Minuteman missile silos at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where they remain today.

Challenger's explosion changed the space shuttle program in several ways. Plans to fly civilians in space (such as teachers or journalists) were shelved for the next 22 years, according to The Smithsonian Magazine. It would not be until 2007 that Barbara Morgan, who was McAuliffe's backup, flew aboard Endeavour. Satellite launches were shifted from the shuttle to reusable rockets. Additionally, astronauts were pulled off duties such as repairing satellites, and the Manned Maneuvering Unit was not flown again, to better preserve astronaut safety.

Every January, NASA pauses to remember the last crew of Challenger and the other crews lost in pursuing space, on a NASA Day of Remembrance.

Challenger has also left an educational legacy: Members of the crews' families founded the Challenger Center for Space Science Education program, which brings students on simulated space missions.

Visitors to the Kennedy Space Center can view debris from Challenger's last mission (as well as Columbia) at an exhibit called " Forever Remembered," which opened in 2015. The debris are on display at the visitor's center.

Additional Resources

To discover how the grief caused by the disaster helped inspire teachers and students, check out this Space.com article: 25 Years After Challenger: How Grief Inspired Teachers and Students. Or you can Listen to how 30 Years After Explosion, Challenger Engineer Still Blames Himself, from NPR. If you are interested, you can read more about NASA's space shuttle program.

Bibliography
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

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Challenger: Shuttle Disaster That Changed NASA

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Space shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986, changing NASA's space program forever

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Challenger disaster, explosion of the U.S. space shuttle orbiter Challenger, shortly after its launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 28, 1986. The disaster claimed the lives of seven astronauts.

The primary goal of shuttle mission 51-L was to launch the second Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-B). It also carried the Spartan Halley spacecraft, a small satellite that was to be released by Challenger and picked up two days later after observing Halley's Comet during its closest approach to the Sun.

Greatest visibility among the crew went to teacher-in-space Christa McAuliffe of Concord, New Hampshire, the winner of a national screening begun in 1984. McAuliffe was to conduct at least two lessons from orbit and then spend the following nine months lecturing students across the United States. The goal was to highlight the importance of teachers and to interest students in high-tech careers. Other members of the crew were commander Francis (Dick) Scobee, pilot Michael Smith, mission specialists Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, and Ronald McNair, and Hughes Aircraft engineer Gregory Jarvis.

The mission experienced trouble at the outset, as the launch was postponed for several days, partly because of delays in getting the previous shuttle mission, 61-C ( Columbia), back on the ground. On the night before the launch, central Florida was swept by a severe cold wave that deposited thick ice on the launch pad. On launch day, January 28, liftoff was delayed until 11:38 am. All appeared to be normal until after the vehicle emerged from "Max-Q," the period of greatest aerodynamic pressure. Mission Control told Scobee, " Challenger, go with throttle up," and seconds later the vehicle disappeared in an explosion just 73 seconds after liftoff, at an altitude of 14,000 metres (46,000 feet). Tapes salvaged from the wreckage showed that the instant before breakup Smith said "Uh-oh," but nothing else was heard. Debris rained into the Atlantic Ocean for more than an hour after the explosion; searches revealed no sign of the crew.

The incident immediately grounded the shuttle program. An intensive investigation by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and a commission appointed by U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan and chaired by former secretary of state William Rogers followed. Other members of the commission included astronauts Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride, test pilot Chuck Yeager, and physicist Richard Feynman. What emerged was an appalling pattern of assumptions that the vehicle could survive minor mishaps and be pushed even further. The ill-fated launch brought to the fore the difficulties that NASA had been experiencing for many years in trying to accomplish too much with too little money.

The immediate cause of the accident was suspected within days and was fully established within a few weeks. The severe cold reduced the resiliency of two rubber O-rings that sealed the joint between the two lower segments of the right-hand solid rocket booster. (At a commission hearing, Feynman convincingly demonstrated the loss of O-ring resiliency by submerging an O-ring in a glass of ice water.) Under normal circumstances, when the shuttle's three main engines ignited, they pressed the whole vehicle forward, and the boosters were ignited when the vehicle swung back to centre. On the morning of the accident, an effect called "joint rotation" occurred, which prevented the rings from resealing and opened a path for hot exhaust gas to escape from inside the booster. Puffs of black smoke appeared on the far side of the booster in a spot not visible to most cameras.

As the vehicle ascended, the leak expanded, and after 59 seconds a 2.4-metre (8-foot) stream of flame emerged from the hole. This grew to 12 metres (40 feet) and gradually eroded one of three struts that secured the booster's base to the large external tank carrying liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for the orbiter engines. At the same time, thrust in the booster lagged slightly, although within limits, and the nozzle steering systems tried to compensate. When the strut broke, the booster's base swiveled outward, forcing its nose through the top of the external fuel tank and causing the whole tank to collapse and explode. Through ground tracking cameras this was seen as a brief flame licking from a concealed spot on the right side of the vehicle a few seconds before everything disappeared in the fireball. Even if the plume had been seen at liftoff, there would have been no hope for crew escape, because the shuttle orbiter could not survive high-speed separation from the tank until the last seconds of the boosters' two-minute burn.

Challenger broke up in the explosion, but the forward section with the crew cabin was severed in one piece; it continued to coast upward with other debris, including wings and still-flaming engines, and then plummeted to the ocean. It was believed that the crew survived the initial breakup but that loss of cabin pressure rendered them unconscious within seconds, since they did not wear pressure suits. Death probably resulted from oxygen deficiency minutes before impact.

The boosters also survived the fireball and righted themselves to continue flying, something totally unexpected. Range safety officers finally detonated their charges 30 seconds later to prevent them from overflying land. After the accident, NASA immediately began work on a redesigned solid booster for future launches.

An intensive salvage operation was organized to retrieve as much of the wreckage as possible and the bodies of the crew. The task was complicated by the force of the explosion and the altitude at which it occurred, as well as the separate paths taken by the boosters.

The Rogers Commission report, delivered on June 6 to the president, faulted NASA as a whole, and its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and contractor Morton Thiokol, Inc., in Ogden, Utah, in particular, for poor engineering and management. Marshall was responsible for the shuttle boosters, engines, and tank, while Morton Thiokol manufactured the booster motors and assembled them at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The Rogers Commission heard disturbing testimony from a number of engineers who had been expressing concern about the reliability of the seals for at least two years and who had warned superiors about a possible failure the night before 51-L was launched. One of the Rogers Commission's strongest recommendations was to tighten the communication gap between shuttle managers and working engineers. In response to this implied criticism that its quality-control measures had become slack, NASA added several more checkpoints in the shuttle bureaucracy, including a new NASA safety office and a shuttle safety advisory panel, in order to prevent such a "flawed" decision to launch from being made again.

Aside from these internal fixes at NASA, however, the Rogers Commission addressed a more fundamental problem. In NASA's efforts to streamline shuttle operations in pursuit of its declared goal of flying 24 missions a year, the commission said, the agency had simply been pushing too hard. The shuttle program had neither the personnel nor the spare parts to maintain such an ambitious flight rate without straining its physical resources or overworking its technicians.

This judgment cut to the core of the way in which the national space program had been conducted in the shuttle era. Indeed, the Challenger accident merely focused attention on more deeply seated problems that had existed for as long as 15 years. From the time it was approved by Pres. Richard Nixon in 1972, the shuttle had been conceived as a "do-everything" vehicle for carrying every kind of space payload, from commercial and scientific satellites to military spacecraft to probes bound for the outer planets. NASA's fleet of conventional "expendable" rockets such as the Delta and Atlas had been phased out in the shuttle era as a result and were being used primarily to reach polar orbits that the shuttle could not reach from Cape Canaveral.

Although this reliance on the shuttle was the officially stated national space policy, the Department of Defense had begun to retreat from relying exclusively on the shuttle even before the Challenger accident. Concerned that shuttle launch delays would jeopardize the assured access to space of high-priority national security satellites, the Air Force in 1985 began a program of buying advanced Titan rockets as "complementary expendable launch vehicles" for its own use.

Other, less powerful groups came forward after the Challenger accident to express their long-standing unhappiness with exclusive reliance on the shuttle for their access to space. Among those calling for a "mixed fleet" of shuttles and expendable launchers were scientists whose missions now faced long delays because the shuttle had become the only existing means of carrying their spacecraft.

By July, when NASA announced that the shuttle would not be ready to fly again until 1988, there was still no decision from Congress or the White House as to whether another orbiter would be built to replace Challenger. Proponents argued that another vehicle-perhaps two more-would be needed to meet the launch needs of the 1990s, which would include construction of NASA's international space station, a permanent facility in Earth orbit.

In mid-August Pres. Ronald Reagan announced that construction of a replacement shuttle orbiter (later named Endeavour) would begin immediately. When the shuttle resumed service, however, it would no longer be in the business of launching satellites for paying customers but would be devoted almost exclusively to defense and scientific payloads. The Reagan administration had long had the goal of stimulating a private space launch industry, and now, with the removal of a heavily subsidized competitor from the market, three different companies stepped forward within a week's time to announce plans for operating commercial versions of the Delta, Titan, and Atlas/Centaur launchers.

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Challenger disaster | Summary, Date, Cause, & Facts

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Challenger disaster, explosion of the U.S. space shuttle orbiter Challenger, shortly after its launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 28, 1986, which claimed the lives of seven astronauts, including Christa McAuliffe, who had won a national screening to become the first teacher in space.